Things Change
by hotanuri
Summary: Seventeen-year-old Lily Evans is hearing it from everyone--things change. And when she arrives at school, she is surprised to see that things are. Not only is the spark of love lighting in her towards Potter, but an unexpected letter changes everything...
1. Eggs, Azaleas, and Other Suprises

**Things Change**

Chapter One: Eggs, Azaleas, and Other Surprises

(Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I'm just inspired by the characters, so I write about them. Isn't that what fanfiction is? Some characters, like Zora Alti and Danyel Hawthorne and Kassie Lionel are my own creativity, but Greta Catchlove is actually JKR's character. This story, which spreads from Lily's seventh year until her death, is my explanation of what happened during the rise of Voldemort. I try to be as canon as possible, so I've done my research:D Please read and review, and above all: Enjoy!)

The sun was rising over a neat row of houses lined along a straight street in a quaint English town. One of the houses was filled with the scents of bacon and eggs, freshly brewed coffee, and sweet sticky buns. The delicious aromas, mixed with the warm rays, enveloped Lily Evans, who was sitting in her window seat watching her small town wake up. The neighbors across the way were hugging their father good bye as he left for his desk job in the city. The little old lady next door was over-watering her azaleas, just as she did every morning. The kids down the street were taking their dog for a walk; or rather it was walking them, before they went off to school.

Lily, herself, was preparing to leave for her return trip to school. The rising autumn sun had meant her last year was upon her. Soon, she would be driving off into London to board the train at King's Cross Station. Then Lily would spend the next nine months at a boarding school, graduating at the top of her class.

At least that's what the neighbors believed.

They did not know that the beautiful young woman would be departing from Platform 9 ¾, on an old fashioned scarlet train. The father at his desk job didn't know that her school was in fact an old castle, surrounded by a dangerous forest. The elderly woman didn't know that the school taught their students with wands and cauldrons and broomsticks. The children being walked by their dog didn't know that Lily Evans was, in fact, a witch.

Lily breathed in the welcoming scents of breakfast. She had been packing her things late into the night, and then rechecking everything this morning, making sure nothing was forgotten. All her books, quills, potions, and parchment were in her trunk, along with her school uniforms and robes. She had one set aside for the train. She would have to change once they got to the station, since she was required to speak to some of the students.

"Lily!" her mother's voice called from the stairs. "Breakfast is ready! Come on down, dear."

Lily stood up, ready to walk out of the room and down the stairs, but she stopped, rethinking what she was doing. She had, after all, turned seventeen last month. She had, after all, passed her Apparation test. And since she was seventeen, she was, after all, allowed to do magic outside of school.

She closed her eyes, picturing her kitchen, with its worn floral wallpaper and wooden cabinets. Lily could see her father and sister sitting at the breakfast table, their mother entering the room, wearing her red apron. She could see her chair, sitting right across from her sister, who was just about to take a bite of her eggs…

Turning on the balls of her feet with all the grace of a ballerina, Lily was sitting in her chair, looking right into Petunia's beady blue eyes, her fork frozen in midair.

"Morning, Petunia," Lily said, smiling.

Petunia let out a scream that would've caused the man across the street to swerve his car and run over the azalea bush that the dog was using to relieve himself. Her fork went flying, and Lily ducked to avoid wearing any eggs. Their mother came running in to see what the commotion was all about.

Their father was laughing heartily. "Nothing's wrong, Camille," he said to their mother. "Lily just came down for breakfast, is all." He wiped the gooey mess off of his face.

Petunia, on the other hand, was not fine at all. "She didn't come down at all! The freak just appeared out of thin air!" She scooted her chair away from the table, putting as much space between herself and her sister.

Lily slightly cringed at her sister's words. Even though she had been calling her crude names for the past six years, they still stung her. Lily wondered if Petunia would ever accept her. "You can't eat your breakfast over there, Petunia. Come back to the table."

Petunia shook her head, her eyes piercing Lily like she was trying to stab her with them. "Not if you are going to keep popping up everywhere." She stood up, leaving her chair where it was, and walked towards the living room. "Vernon will be here any minute to take me shopping, so I'll just wait in the other room."

Lily saw her mother watch Petunia leave, and she shook her head. "Oh, Thomas. What are we going to do with that girl?" She went over to pick up her daughter's forgotten plate, picking up the egg debris on the table. "She's been so edgy lately."

He reached out and touched his wife's hand. "Don't worry, Camille. Hopefully this man of hers will calm her down and she'll be her sweet self again."

Lily couldn't help but laugh. "I never remember Petunia being sweet. At least to me, anyways." Lily took a bite of her sticky bun, wiping her fingers on a napkin. "Besides, Vernon Dursley is the worst Muggle I've ever heard of."

"I can still hear you!" Petunia yelled from the living room.

Lily rolled her eyes. She lowered her voice, looking into her father's friendly blue eyes. "From what I hear her talking about, he's a well-to-do business man, who's old fashioned and set in his ways. I don't think he would like me very much, which is probably the only reason Petunia's attracted to him."

"Lily," her mother scolded, yet she was trying hard not to smile. She knew very well what type of man Petunia was marrying, and that's why she made sure Lily wasn't around when he was this summer. Now Lily wouldn't have to worry at all about facing Petunia and her future husband.

Her father looked at his watch. "Dear Lord, it's almost nine o'clock. It'll take us over an hour to get to London with the traffic." He stood up, helping his wife clear the table.

Lily finished her plate and helped as well. "I could just Apparate to the station with my luggage. That way you don't have to worry about driving in the traffic."

"Nonsense," her father remarked, hugging her sideways. "You're worth it. Besides, this is your last year, and most important." He kissed the side of her head, squeezing her tightly. "Is it Head Girl, they call it?"

Lily nodded. "Yes. There's also a Head Boy, but I don't know who that is yet. Most likely Remus Lupin, with his marks. Or Nicholas Eins from Ravenclaw. I guess I'll find out on the train. Whoever it is, we're supposed to address the prefects about the rules."

Petunia stormed into the kitchen, her lips in such a tight line, they appeared to be as thin as paper. "Vernon is coming up the path, and I don't want you talking about your freakish world while he's here. Can you at least do that?" She had muttered the words through gritted teeth, barely moving her lips.

Their mother sighed at her eldest daughter's behavior. "Petunia, relax. You don't want Vernon to see your pretty face all in a knot, now do you?" She took off her apron, draping it over a chair. "Come, dear. Let's go open the door for your fiancé."

Petunia glared at Lily before she turned away, walking off with her mother. Lily sighed, hanging her head. "I don't understand why she hates me."

Her father patted her shoulder comfortingly. "You two are different, that's all. She doesn't understand that. Give her more time, and she'll eventually come around."

Lily looked up at him, and she could see him smiling, almost laughing. "What?"

"Well, as I recall, there's a certain young man who you don't seem to like, all though I can't figure out for the life of me why. It seems that with a little time, you might come around as well."

Lily started disbelievingly. "I can't believe you would think I would like James Potter! He's immature, and conceited, and his greatest ambition is to break as many rules as possible."

He chuckled, letting go of her. "You never know. Things can change."

"If it's Potter, I doubt it."

The ride to the station was a pleasant one. Petunia wasn't there, since she was shopping for a banquet hall to hold her wedding reception. Of course, she was getting married while Lily was at school, which meant Lily would not be attending. Lily was fine with that, but deeper down, she was hurt by her sister's actions.

"So, what kind of privileges does Head Girl get?" her father asked.

"I get my own room this year," Lily replied, "and I get to use the prefect's bathroom."

"What's in there?" her father asked.

"I'm not really sure; I've never been in there. But Greta, she's in my class and a prefect, said that it's a giant bathtub with different types of soaps and perfumes. Very fancy." Lily looked back out the window, watching the trees and fields give way to shops and streetlights. She never seemed to grow tired of the scenery, even though it was the same every year. Maybe it was the fact that it never changed that made Lily feel comfortable as she headed off for a new year at school. Her last year.

"Are you cold, dear?" she heard her father ask. She looked back up front to see her mother rubbing at her arm. "I'll turn the heat up, but it shouldn't be too cold in here." Her father reached for the knob, but Camille laid her hand on top of his to stop him.

"I'm fine, Thomas," Lily's mother replied. "I'm just nervous about Lily's last year."

"Nervous?" Lily smiled. "Why should you be nervous? I'm the one who's attending school, what with the N.E.W.T.S in the spring."

"I won't ask," her father chuckled, his smiling face looking forward as he turned a corner.

"I'm just worried about my baby," Camille said in that all-too-motherly tone of hers. "You're going to be graduating and then off into the real world, getting a job and getting married…"

"Hold on!" Lily said, sitting forward so that her arms were crossed on the back of the front seat. She looked at her mom, looking slightly shocked. "What makes you think I would be getting married after school? I have no intention of that, thank you very much."

"But you don't know: you might meet Mister Right this year," her father added, his smirk never fading.

Lily knew what he was thinking. "I doubt it. But," she continued, stopping her father from commenting any further, "even if I did—hypothetically speaking—I wouldn't be rushing into marriage after school. I don't want to end up like Petunia."

"Lily Evans!" her mother scolded, although she could sense that she was trying not to smile. "Don't be rude."

They reached the station with time to spare, and they found a cart to carry Lily's things on. They made their way through the bustling crowd, swerving left and right. Lily was glad she didn't have any pets, like some of her friends did. Some of the Muggles that passed by thought it odd for an owl to be in a cage on a student's luggage cart.

"Five, six, seven…" Her mother was reading off the numbers of the platforms, hurrying along ahead of them.

"Camille, slow down, honey," her father said, walking alongside Lily. "The train's not leaving for another half hour. We've got plenty of time."

"Nine and ten! Here we are!" She obviously ignored her husband's statement. She came over and stood beside Lily. "Should we go along with you, dear?"

Lily looked at her oddly. "Mom, you can't. It's only magic folk."

"Oh, I forgot." She laughed. "Well, you take care of yourself, Lily." She hugged her tightly, kissing her cheek. "Don't forget to write. And come home for Christmas."

Her father hugged her next. "Take care, honey," he whispered, kissing her other cheek as he hugged her. "And don't forget, things change." He winked at her.

Lily rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "I'll keep that in mind." She hugged her mother one last time, and then turned to face the barrier between platforms nine and ten. The guard at the ticket booth looked over at her and nodded, letting her know that the coast was clear. She looked straight at the wall, and began to push her cart towards it, picking up her pace. Just as it looked like she was about to hit the bricks, she passed through it, reappearing on a solitary platform.

There were many students moving around, and witches and wizards kissing their little ones goodbye. Cats were meowing, owls were hooting, and children were calling out, waving from their compartments on the train. A luggage man came by and took her trunks, loading them onto the train with all the others. Lily took her bag with her change of clothes and set off to find a restroom to change in.

In the girls bathroom, Lily was welcomed by the over joyous squeal of her former roommate. "Lily Evans, look at you!"

Lily smiled at the brunette who came over and hugged her. "Hello, Danyel. How was your summer?"

"Wonderful! My family and I went to America over the break to visit my cousins. They were very amused to see all the magic I learned. Now they are all wishing they can go to Hogwarts."

"Aren't your cousins Muggles?" Lily asked, stepping into a stall to change.

"Some of them are," Danyel continued, standing near Lily's occupied stall. "We visited my Uncle Benjamin. He's a wizard himself, but his wife is a Muggle. But my cousins have been showing signs of being witches."

Lily finished changing while Danyel continued on about her vacation. Lily stepped out, shaking her head to free her hair from her robes. Danyel suddenly stopped talking and gasped.

"Is that a Head Girl badge?" she asked, her eyes wide. "You're Head Girl?" Lily nodded. "But that means you won't be sharing the dorm with us this year, then."

The train's whistle suddenly sounded, and the girls grabbed their bags and rushed to board. Danyel waved as she went to the right, towards the student compartments. Lily went left, towards the engine, where the prefect's compartment was located. Soon the line of students died out as she went along the hallway.

"Lily, wait up!"

Lily turned to see another classmate of hers, Greta Catchlove, a prefect. Her blonde hair was bouncing about on her shoulders, and she stopped to catch her breath. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm Head Girl," Lily said, pointing at her badge.

"Congratulations! Do you know who Head Boy is?"

"I have no idea. But I guess we are about to find out." They started walking the rest of the way to the compartment.

"Honoria Windsor, that sweet little red head, is a prefect this year. So is Alexander Fender, the beater on the team." Greta pulled on her sweater, making sure it wasn't wrinkled. "I wonder if Lupin is Head Boy."

Lily reached to open the door, but it suddenly opened by itself. She let her eyes wonder up a tall figure, straight into a very familiar pair of hazel eyes.

"Good afternoon, Evans," James Potter said, smiling at her. "We were just about to get started."

"We?" Greta asked, voicing what Lily could not. She was in shock of how much Potter had grown over the summer. He was taller, and manlier looking, but still had that boyish expression on his face.

"Yes, we," Potter replied. "I'm Head Boy. And might I say, congratulations on making Head Girl, Evans." He was giving her such a cheesy smile, as if he knew that his news had startled her. "Well, come on in, Evans, Catchlove. You are the last ones to arrive."

Greta looped her arm through Lily's, leading her into the room. She leaned in and whispered in her ear. "I must say, Potter improved over the summer." She turned her head, smiling at everyone they passed. "Don't you think so, Lily?"

Lily, surprising herself, nodded. "But his attitude is still the same. Egotistical and arrogant."

"Well, maybe he's grown up now."

Lily sighed. "You sound like my father," she muttered under her breath.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Apparently, Greta didn't care to further pursue, because she had sat down, right next to a very ill looking young man. His eyes were dark with circles, his face pale. His sandy hair covered his eyes as he leaned against the wall, apparently trying to sleep.

Greta wouldn't let him have that satisfaction, however. "Good afternoon, Lupin. Are you feeling well?"

Remus Lupin sat up, looking at Greta. His facial expression was enough of an answer for her.

"Didn't you get any sleep last night, Lupin?" Lily asked, sitting on Greta's other side. Of course, Lily knew that wasn't the problem. Lupin had always been a sickly fellow, and Lily couldn't help but wonder why, since there were thousands of potions that could help him.

Lupin suddenly sat up straight, trying his best to smile through his exhaustion. "No, I didn't. But that's probably because I was anticipating coming back to school. Summer was horrible."

Lily looked at him sympathetically. "Well, I'm sorry you had a bad summer."

She could see his eyes brighten up, and noticed some color returning to his pale face. Somebody coughed, clearly trying to gain attention, and the three looked up at Potter.

"If we could begin," he said, his tone slightly irritable. He was glaring at his friend, who had shrunk back in his seat to sleep. Lily stood up to join him, even though she'd rather be back in the kitchen, listening to Petunia screaming from the living room.

The unloading of the train was rather hectic. Several of the cages had been opened, and students were running all over, trying to corral their pets. A first year girl was crying as she jumped around, trying to catch her cat that was chasing after a mouse. A brown speckled owl swooped down to catch the mouse, but missed and grabbed a small boy's hair. He screamed, swatting at the bird, and then a boy from Hufflepuff grabbed the owl and put it in his cage.

All the prefects were trying to help, while shouting out to the other students to remain calm. Greta and Lupin were attempting to lure a cat into another cage that belonged to a young Ravenclaw girl. Potter was wrestling with a hissing cat, which belonged to another first year boy. And Lily was trying her best to pick up a frightened white mouse, while four owls were swooping above her head. As she followed it towards the ticket booth of the Hogsmeade Station, she heard someone chuckling in the shadows. Lily, successfully picking up the mouse, held it close and tiptoed over to the dark corner. That laugh sounded very familiar.

"Sirius Black, I'd hate to think you had anything to do with this." Lily gave him a stern look, blocking him in the corner.

A tall boy stepped out of the shadows, his face lit by his humor. "Why do you always assume it is my fault?"

"Because it always is." Lily pulled out a pad of paper, which she had just received on the train. She scribbled on it, and then tore the paper off, handing it to Black. "You have detention all this week, and you will be cleaning out the Owlry."

Sirius scrunched up his nose, as if he could already smell his dirty task. "Thanks, Evans." He brushed passed her, pushing past the mess of students and found a seat on a black carriage.

Lily found the owner of the mouse, and then she looked around for her friends, with whom she could ride in the carriage. The first years were already on their way down to the lake, to ride the boats across to the castle. The older students were to make the journey up the path by carriage, which were enchanted to roll around, horseless.

"Lily! Lily Evans, I would know that hair anywhere!"

Lily turned to see Hallayna Brick, a pretty raven-haired girl who played on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. Hallayna was waving her towards a carriage, and Lily ran over to join her, careful not to trip on her robes.

"Kaitlynn told me you were Head Girl," Hallayna said, settling into the plush seat. "Good work! I'm surprised you weren't sorted into Ravenclaw with your brains."

Lily nodded. "The Sorting Hat had trouble placing me."

The carriage jolted forward, and the long line began to move up the hill. The castle was illuminated in the light of the moon, which reflected off the lake. Several small boats were crossing, and Lily couldn't help but think back when she had made that trip. She had actually shared a boat with Hallayna that time, and two other girls from Hufflepuff.

"So, how was your holiday?" Hallayna asked.

"Uneventful," Lily replied. "Unless you count Petunia's engagement. She's getting married in November."

"Oh, that's nice," Hallayna replied, although she knew full well it wasn't. She started to laugh. "Who on earth would marry a prude like her?"

"And even bigger prude."

Hallayna looked like she had just eaten a bogey-flavored Bott's Bean.

"Well, Petunia plans on moving to a small town with him, away from us. With 'normal' people, she says." Lily rested her head against the back of the seat. There was a faint dusty smell, and she lightly coughed, clearing her throat of her emotions.

Everyone entered the Great Hall, admiring the decorations that were there every year. Thousands of candles hovered above, illuminating the tables below. The glimmering stars that were bewitched, reflecting the night sky outdoors, lighted the ceiling.

Lily and her friends walked the length of the Gryffindor table. Hallayna waved and went her separate way, joining the group of Ravenclaw students. Someone touched Lily's shoulder, and she smiled to see Greta behind her, with the other girls from her class. They sat down at the table, and Lily groaned when she saw who was sitting across from them.

In a neat little row were James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and a small, mousy boy that always hung around them named Peter Pettigrew. Pettigrew was drawn to Potter and his group like a rat to garbage. Lily couldn't understand why he was always around him, but she was surprised that Potter had taken him under his wing. Perhaps there were some civil acts in his crude behavior.

Once everyone was seated, the doors opened and a tall, serious-looking woman led in the group of first years. The woman was Professor McGonagall, the Transfiguration teacher and head of Gryffindor House. Her black hair was pulled back tightly in its usual bun, and her square framed glasses rested on her face, her eyes looking straight ahead. Nothing ever seemed out of place on her.

She stepped up and stood in front of the staff table, placing a small, four-legged stool on the ground in front of the line of nervous first years. The room grew silent as McGonagall placed an old, tattered hat on the stool. Lily could tell the new students were looking at it as if expecting it to attack them.

Suddenly, the brim started moving, talking through it like a mouth.

"_Though I may seem very odd,_

_Patched and tattered, you can see,_

_There is no other hat around_

_That's as clever as old me!_

_I was created long ago_

_By a man named Gryffindor._

_His three friends all agreed _

_That I wouldn't be a bore._

_Fair Rowena Ravenclaw_

_Taught me to be smart._

_And pleasant Helga Hufflepuff_

_Made sure I searched the heart._

_Sly Salazar Slytherin _

_His charming wit he gave._

_And noble Godric Gryffindor_

_Made me to be brave._

_Now the centuries have passed_

_And the founders are long gone._

_But here I still remain at school_

_To make sure you're not sorted wrong._

_I'll sit upon your little heads_

_And pick your brains apart._

_Don't worry; it won't hurt a bit,_

_My technique is very smart._

_If you're put in Gryffindor_

_It's your bravery that I traced._

_Nobility and strength prevail,_

_With courage their trials are faced._

_If Ravenclaw is your new home_

_Then I sensed your intelligence._

_They're bright and smart in that old house_

_And will be here on hence._

_Perhaps you have a cunning charm_

_And your new home is Slytherin._

_They take pride in their old ways._

_They're picky on who's let in._

_Then there's dear old Hufflepuff._

_They're patient and most kind._

_If you share their virtues_

_There's no better place you'll find._

_Four houses I will choose from,_

_Their names I've all just said._

_Each one is very different,_

_So set me upon your head!"_

The hall broke into applause, and the hat bowed to each of the tables, then sat still again. Professor McGonagall unrolled a parchment, and began to call out names.

"ARLIC, MATHEW!"

Lily watched as a small, round-faced boy waddled up to the platform. She saw that he was nervous about being the first one called. With shaking hands, he picked up the hat, placing it over his mousse colored hair, his face disappearing beneath the brim. After a few seconds, the hat triumphantly called out, "HUFFLEPUFF!" The table next to Lily erupted with applause, and his new housemates welcomed Arlic warmly.

"ARRONS, PRUDENCE!"

This time, a frail girl with stringy black hair walked up to the stool, her chin held high. Her eyes were gleaming with pride, and Lily was sure she knew where little Miss Arrons would be placed.

"SLYTHERIN!" the sorting hat yelled, only resting on her head for a second. The far table burst into cheers, and Lily could see Black rolling his eyes, making vomiting sounds. Greta was giggling next to her, and Lily lightly elbowed her.

"COLLINS, SARAH!"

Another small girl stepped up to the stool, her baby doll face wearing a smile. She didn't appear nervous at all.

"She's cute," Black whispered. "Too bad she's so young."

The hat covered her charming face, and it lingered there for a few minutes. The hall was silent, anticipating the cry of the Sorting Hat.

"RAVENCLAW!"

Once again, the room filled with noise, this time from the tables on the other side of Hufflepuff.

"DROOMLORV, MATILDE!"

A raven-haired girl sat down on the stool, the Sorting Hat covering her midnight eyes. It stayed there for about a minute, and finally it cried out, "SLYTHERIN!" Once again, the far table screamed in triumph.

A few more children were sorted, and the Gryffindor table still maintained its current population.

"Are we going to have any first years?" Black whispered. "I need some new faces to pick on."

Lily scowled at him. "I'll be right behind you to give you another detention."

Black stuck his tongue out at her.

"FOLEY, MICHAEL!"

A tiny boy took his turn under the hat, and after much silence, the much-awaited word rang out. "GRYFFINDOR!"

Everyone around her stood up, applauding at the first new housemate. The boy smiled nervously at his loud welcome, taking a seat towards the front.

As McGonagall continued to call out names, and the Sorting Hat would reply by placing them, Lily's mind began to wander to when she had been sorted. She could remember the feel of the fabric, the smell of its age, but its words were what still haunted her.

"_Very tough… you are a challenge…you thirst for knowledge of the world around you. Your potential for learning would do well in Ravenclaw…but you have a humble heart, which belongs in Hufflepuff… What's this? I see a great strength coursing through your blood. I haven't seen this in many years…you would do well in Slytherin. They could make you great…No? You are very brave to fight what you've been destined for…in that case…"_

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The Sorting Hat had brought Lily back into the present. The entire table stood up for the final time, shouting out. Black was whooping and hollering, and Lupin was trying to silence him, without much effort. Lily looked to see who the new student was: a young boy with flaming red hair to put Lily's to shame.

Professor Dumbledore, an old wizard with long frizzy hair, stood up, bringing the hall to silence. "I would like to say a few words before we eat: Gumdrops! Cockroaches! Whiskies! Dinglehopper!"

The feast had begun, and the sounds of chatter and gossip and sloppy eaters were all around. Lily was glad to be back.


	2. Who Would Kiss Him?

Who Would Kiss Him?

(disclaimer: i do not own or claim JKR's Harry Potter characters. Those that have been made up by me were inspired by her writing. I write for enjoyment, and I hope you read this for the same reason. Enjoy!!!)

Lily couldn't help but stare. How could someone devour three drumsticks, a turkey leg, four helpings of potatoes, two servings of corn, and a half of a cherry pie in a record time of ten minutes? Somehow, Sirius Black had managed to do so.

He was gnawing at the bone of what was left of a turkey leg, as if he wanted to leave no scrap of meat behind, no matter how small. Lily was not the only one watching him. Greta was also unable to pry her eyes away from the slab of skin hanging from his mouth, before he sucked it in and swallowed it.

Not only were the girls watching in horror, but Remus Lupin also shared an expression of disgust. He appeared to be slowly inching away from him, as if he wished not to sit next to him, for fear of catching anything.

Potter, however, seemed unaffected.

"That is disgusting!" Danyel shrieked, putting her fork down. She looked at the girl sitting next to her, another roommate and friend. "Aren't you appalled by this, Zora?"

Zora Alti, a spunky raven-haired beauty, just smiled. "I'm used to witnessing his messy eating habits."

Danyel looked like she was about to lurch. "What about you, Potter?" He was sitting across from her. "How can you stand seeing him like this?"

Potter laughed. "It's been the same for seven years, and he's lived with me during the past two summers. I'm used to it. So is my mother. We never have leftovers anymore."

Black nodded in agreement. "Your mother is a wonderful cook." He slurped down a slice of pie. "But the food here is also delicious!"

Lupin laughed, the first sound he had made all evening. "Sirius would eat anything, including his own dog sh--"

"Watch it, Remus…" Black growled, glaring at him.

"You would eat your own dog, Black?" Danyel asked curiously.

"If I had one."

Danyel whined, setting down her fork. "I've lost my appetite."

Zora leaned over the table, looking at Potter. "Who's the Quidditch captain?"

Potter swallowed his drink, and then smiled. "I am, of course."

"So you'll be looking for a new seeker this year, right?" Zora asked.

"You want to be seeker, Zora?" Greta asked, looking around Danyel. "I didn't know you played."

Zora nodded. "I've been practicing this summer. I'm pretty fast."

Black snickered. "Yeah, you are."

A bread roll suddenly went flying past their faces, smacking Black right between the eyes. "Hey!"

Zora was looking in a different direction.

Potter elbowed Black in the ribs. "Pass the butter, Bir."

Danyel, hearing his request, looked around the table. "There is no butterbeer. Sorry, Potter."

Potter looked at her oddly, then laughed. "I wasn't asking for that. I said, 'pass the butter, Bir.'"

Black was glaring at Potter, as if trying to make butterbeer pour out of his friend's ears. "That was a really bad pun, Pam."

Lily rolled her eyes at their silly nicknames. She tried to remember what had brought them on, and smiled when the thought popped up at her. It was on their first day when they had all met, as first year students.

Black took another bite of potatoes, and this time, Greta remarked. "It's a wonder you have so many girls fawning over you, Black. I'm surprised they would want to kiss that mouth after seeing you eat."

Black laughed. "I don't have a problem getting kissed. It's James here who's never been kissed."

Potter's cheeks burned as bright as the candles floating overhead. "I have too been kissed!"

Black scoffed at him. "Please! That was not a kiss. You bumped heads."

Greta and Zora seemed to have taken interest in this, because they were leaning on the table, elbows propped up and hands tucked under their chins. "Really?" Zora smiled, her eyes gleaming. "Do tell."

"There's nothing to tell," Black replied, swallowing his bite of white mush. "James and Evans bumped heads. Well, bumped lips."

Blue and hazel eyes were suddenly upon Lily, and she eyed them curiously. "What? He just said it was an accident." And yet Lily couldn't help feel a flush in her cheeks.

Potter was now the one giving Black dirty looks. He smiled devilishly, his eyes narrowed. "You still owe me, Bir."

"Owe you what?" Black took another bite of potato.

"You know what."

Their area was quiet, perhaps the most silent spot in the entire hall. All eyes were on Black, waiting for his reply. But Lily's eyes were slowly sinking below the table. She knew what it was Potter wanted. She had been there, after all. Greta seemed to notice Lily's sudden attempt of disappearing. "What are they talking about?"

Lily shook her head. "It's a long story," she muttered. The images in her mind were what were bothering her the most. She could still vividly see a young Sirius and James running into the compartment, out of breath, and the events following were even more interesting. Suddenly, she couldn't help but laugh.

"What's so funny?" Lupin asked, peering over the table at Lily.

She sat up, her gaze falling upon Potter. "Why would you want him to repay you?"

"Because, it was his fault I had to witness such a horrible sight, and experience the most forbidden pain a man could experience." Potter looked back over at Black, his eyes demanding his payment. "You owe me!"

It was very amusing to watch the sudden wave of realization flood over Black's face. "No! There's no way in hell I'm doing that!"

Black's sudden outburst had drawn the attention of the rest of the Gryffindor table, as well as a group of Hufflepuffs. Lily could hear them whispering behind her, trying to figure out what was going on.

"You promised me, Sirius!" Potter continued, his voice now also raised, causing more Hufflepuffs to silence themselves and witness the scene unfolding. They couldn't clearly see Potter's face; otherwise they might have noticed the teasing grin he wore.

"I didn't promise you anything!" Black roared back, slightly frantic. Lily turned her head around to that their audience had expanded to the Ravenclaw table. Soon, the Slytherins and the staff table would be in on the little quarrel.

"You did promise me! You said you would make it up to me." Potter dramatically hung his head, imitating a whimper. It was clear that he was being playful. "Because of you, I walked funny for the rest of the day!"

The whole hall was almost silent now, and the two boys seemingly did not realize this. Greta was staring at them wide eyed. Danyel was covering her eyes, her red cheeks beaming. Zora looked like she was about ready to burst out laughing.

Potter stood up, throwing down his napkin. "I can never forget that day, and what happened to me! I demand my reparation!"

Black was fuming. Lily couldn't tell if it was from anger or embarrassment. She could only imagine what was going through his mind, not to mention what everyone else was thinking. It truly wasn't what it sounded like. Well, sort of.

Black grumbled for a moment, before standing up, avoiding eye contact with anyone. "FINE!" he shouted. "If it'll shut you up!"

What happened next was very unexpected.

Black grabbed Potter by his ears, pulling his face to his own. With shocked eyes, Potter watched as Black kissed him on the mouth, rather quickly, but forcefully, as if he wanted to make sure there was no mistaking his action.

Zora squealed, causing Danyel to look up. Danyel turned to an even darker shade of red, if possible, and covered her face again. Greta's jaw had dropped to the table almost, as did Lupin's. Small Pettigrew couldn't see what was happening, since his only view was Potter's back, but he eventually realized what had happened when the other students started gossiping about it.

"Did he just kiss him?" Lily heard a Hufflepuff whisper.

"Isn't that the Head Boy?"

"I knew he was gay!"

"I can't believe he did that!"

Apparently, Potter couldn't believe it either. Evidently, he was only trying to egg his friend, teasing him as he always did. He sat down, his eyes still frozen in a state of shock. He looked over at Lily, his cheeks almost matching Danyel's. But Lily looked away. For some reason, she couldn't bare looking at him right now. She didn't know why.

As Black sat down, rather hard, Dumbledore stood up, clearing his throat. The hall fell silent once more, and the Headmaster smiled. "Well, now that that situation is solved, I would like to give you a few words for the start of the year." He looked over at their table, his eyes falling upon Potter and Black. "We do not care about your…dating preference. But please: keep your secret affairs…a secret."

"What was that all about?" Greta asked, still dazed, but managing to giggle. "I always wondered about those two, but I wasn't expecting that."

Zora linked her arm through Lily's, practically pulling her along. They were leaving the Great Hall, heading up to their dormitories. When the finish of the feast had been announced, Sirius Black had rushed out first, past all the gossiping Hufflepuffs, the murmuring Ravenclaws, and the sneering Slytherins. Potter had been right behind him.

"I can't believe he kissed him!" Danyel squeaked. She was acting like what she had witnessed was Black chopping off Potter's head. "Why would he do that?"

Kassie Lionel, their fellow classmate and roommate, simply laughed. "Boys will be boys." She skipped ahead of Danyel, who was walking beside Greta. Kassie looped her arm through Lily's other one. "But it looks like Lily knows why Sirius did that. Tell us."

Lily shook her head. "It's a long story. I'm not sure I even remember all the details, it happened six years ago."

Zora playfully slapped Lily's arm. "You mean our smart little Head Girl has forgotten something?"

"Of course not!"

"Then you'll tell us!" Kassie replied.

They were walking up the marble staircase that led to the first floor, and it looked like Zora and Kassie were carrying Lily up the steps, since the girls were both taller than her. They had nearly reached the top when Lily noticed something protruding from the top step. It appeared to be a hat, with bells lightly jingling. Something under the hat was giggling.

"Evening, Peeves," Zora moaned.

The hat suddenly rose in the air, revealing Peeves, the Hogwarts' residential poltergeist. His grin was about as big as his horrid orange bowtie. Peeves obviously had no sense of coordinating his attire. Today, he was sporting a red plaid shirt, green waistcoat, and purple polka-dotted trousers.

But his choice of clothing reflected his mischievous humor. He snapped his fingers, acting disappointed. "Ah, li'le miss Head Girl and her friends caught me." He cackled, circling around them in the air. "Poor li'le miss Head Girl…her naughty boyfriend is kissing other naughty boys…"

"He is NOT my boyfriend," Lily firmly stated, her eyes never losing sight of Peeves. Only God knew what he was up to.

He covered his mouth with his hand, but it didn't hide his laughter. "Miss Head Girl is in denial!"

Lily scowled. "No, I'm not."

"Denying denial!"

Kassie and Zora, who had already released their arms from Lily, were now stepping down to stand with Greta and Danyel. Peeves took this opportunity of more space to circle Lily closer, like a hawk descending upon its meal.

"I am not denying it."

"Denying denying denial!" Peeves stuck out his tongue, making a rather crude sound. His grin was growing wicked by the second. "The first step of admitting you love someone is denial!" he sang.

"And the first step of getting you kicked out is pestering the Head Girl enough for her to tell Dumbledore." Lily glared at Peeves. He wouldn't dare disrespect the headmaster.

Peeves stopped in midair, lying on his side, a sour expression on his face. "You spoil my fun, li'le miss Head Girl…" He made a dramatic dive, and disappeared below the staircase.

Lily turned to the girls, who were all watching, with smiles on their faces. "Don't tell me that you agree with him…"

Zora shook her head, but her eyes were laughing. "We didn't say a single word." And they didn't the rest of the trip up the stairs. Lily led the way up the seven flights of steps, until they finally reached the portrait of a very large woman in a pink dress.

"Password?" she asked.

"Antipodean Opaleye," Lily murmured, and the portrait nodded, revealing the familiar pathway to the Gryffindor common room. Lily entered first, and as she entered the room, she could still hear the students talking about the dinner show they had seen.

Ignoring them, she continued on to the spiral staircase that went up to the girls' dormitories. Zora, Kassie, Greta, and Danyel stopped after the first flight, lingering outside the door marked, "Seventh Years." Zora's hand was resting on the doorknob, but she was watching Lily.

"What?"

"Won't you tell us?"

Lily sighed. "It's a long story. Just forget about it." She took a few steps up, preparing herself to climb seven more flights of steps to her own dorm. "I'll see you girls in the morning."

Lily ventured up the spiral stairwell, and realized that she would be climbing a total of fourteen flights just to go to her room from dinner. When she reached the top of the tower, she sighed with relief.

Normally, the dorms stopped on the seventh floor, but another room had been made up for her, since she was Head Girl. She had requested to remain in the Gryffindor Tower, and Dumbledore was more than happy to oblige. So when she opened the door, she was breath taken by the beautiful room. The ceiling rose up and met in the center, with four tall windows around the room. Her poster bed was directly across from the door, and it was covered with red satin sheets and fluffy pillows. There was an oak desk on the right side of the room, and a matching cabinet on the left.

All of her stuff was already in her room, her trunk set beside the cabinet. All her clothes were hung up, and her books were placed neatly on her desk. Lily decided to sit down at it. The candelabrum that was sitting on the desk was already lit, just as the rest were that were around the room.

Lily slipped off her robe, hanging it on the back of her chair. She was thinking about cracking open one of her textbooks and getting a head start on studying. But a curious sound had drawn her attention. She looked at the floor, finding an envelope lying on the wood.

Lily bent down to pick it up, wondering why it had been in her robe's pocket. There was nothing in it this morning, when she had folded them up to put in her bag. Obviously, someone had snuck it in. She stuck a finger into the seal, starting to tear it open.

"Lily! Can we come in?"

Lily jumped at the sudden intrusion. Zora was already in the room, gaping in awe. "This is nice…"

"Yes, come on in," Lily said sarcastically, putting the envelope inside her Transfiguration book and closing it. She smiled at the other girls who were politely waiting at the door. "I said come in."

Kassie immediately jumped on the bed, moaning with jealousy. "These are satin sheets! They're expensive. My mom always wanted some, but my father refused to pay for them."

"Muggles have satin sheets?" Zora asked. Kassie was a muggle-born witch, and Zora was always fascinated by her childhood stories, since Zora was a pureblood. "What else do you have at home?"

Greta joined Kassie on the bed, shaking her head. "Now, ladies, that's not why we came up here." She looked at Lily. "We're ready for you to tell us."

Danyel and Zora also sat down, the four girls eyeing Lily. They were pleading with her, she could tell by their expressions. They wouldn't stop bothering her about it until she told them.

"Fine," she sighed, but smiling. She crawled onto the bed, playfully pushing Zora to the side so she could lean against the headboard. "It started on the first day of school, in our first year."

"Wait!" Danyel cried out. She pulled out her wand, which was smaller than Lily's, and muttered a few words. Suddenly, a large bowl of popcorn appeared, and Danyel was set for story time.

"Ooh, that reminds me," Kassie beamed. She reached into her robes, pulling out a rather odd bottle.

"Is that…" Danyel started asking, her voice dropping. "It is! Where did you get that?"

"I nicked it from my parents' liquor cabinet before I left. They'll never miss it." She opened it up, and the heavily sweet smell of wine filled up Lily's bedroom. Danyel let out a cough, and Zora was the first to reach for the bottle.

"Popcorn and wine. Now I'm ready for the story!"


	3. Watch Out For Pet Rocks

**Watch Out For Pet Rocks**

**Chapter 3**

(disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or claim it as my own. I am only inspired by the characters and write about them. After all, isn't that what fanfiction is? I write for others to enjoy! So please do! Warning: Use of alcohol and sexual preferences. )

"Well, I was eleven, of course," Lily giggled, taking a sip from Kassie's drink. She had drank champagne and some wine before at special occasions, but never this strong before. She could already feel it affecting her. "I was terribly nervous. I had only learned about the wizard world a month ago, and barely had time to read about it. So there I was, standing on the Hogwarts Express, and no clue what to do..."

Young Lily Evans maneuvered around the halls, trying to find a place to sit. Older students were moving in the opposite direction, pushing Lily backwards. She fought against the flow, and tripped on someone's foot, sending her flying into an open compartment.

"It's full in here," a girl said, who was sitting alone. She was pretty, but her sour disposition ruined her physical appearance.

"Sorry," Lily muttered, pushing herself off the doorframe and continuing on. Every door she stumbled upon revealed a full compartment, and her bags were becoming rather heavy. As she neared the end of the train, she heard a joyful cry that averted her attention.

"Is that a Holyhead Harpie bag? That's my favorite Quidditch team!"

"It's a limited edition, too," answered another young voice. "My father bought it for me for my birthday."

Lily had no idea what they were talking about. Quidditch? Holyheads? She peered around the doorframe, hoping that maybe they could offer her a place to sit. There were two boys, about her age, and they were eagerly talking about Quidditch. The taller boy had shoulder length black hair, ruffled up and messy.

But the smaller boy was who caught Lily's attention. His hair was also black and untidy, but shorter, and his hazel eyes were framed by glasses. She knew his eye color because he was staring directly at her.

"Um, can I sit in here?" Lily asked, finally finding her voice.

The taller boy nodded his head, moving his bags. "Sure. There's room." He stood up, and Lily realized just how tall he was: her head reached his chin. He placed his bags on the rack above them, and held out his hand to her. "Do you want me to put your things up, too?"

Lily nodded, slightly nervous. Was it wise to sit in a compartment with two boys? She sat down, and peeked at the smaller boy. His mouth was hanging open, and she wondered why.

The taller boy sat down next to her, and laughed. "Don't drool," he whispered, reaching over and closing the other boy's mouth. He looked back at Lily. "I'm Sirius Black. I'm a first year."

"I'm Lily Evans," Lily replied. She was sitting as close to the wall of the compartment, trying not to sit too close to the boy next to her. "I'm first year, too."

Sirius looked at the other boy. "Don't be rude! You haven't told us your name yet."

The boy, who appeared to be blushing, began to stutter. "I-I'm P-Pames Jotter. M-Meet to nice you."

Sirius couldn't help but chuckle. "Pames Jotter? Nice to meet you, Pam." Sirius smiled cheekily at him. "Pames Jotter...I'm glad I didn't say Birius Slack." He shook his head and continued laughing.

Lily was confused. Did all wizards have unusual names? "Nice to meet you both."

"No! That's not my name!" His cheeks flushed as red as Lily's hair. "It's James."

"Oh," Sirius smiled. "James Potter. That's more like it." He leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. "Potter. I know that name. Very old family, right? Popular for being Gryffindors."

James nodded. "I'm surprised you're sitting with me. Your family is a long line of Slytherins, aren't they?"

Sirius groaned. "Don't remind me..."

Lily's eyes were moving back and forth, listening to their conversation. Slytherins and Gryffindors? What were they talking about? Sirius seemed to notice Lily's confused expression.

"Let me guess: you're a muggle-born, aren't you?"

"What's a muggle?" Lily asked.

Sirius laughed. "Yep, you are!"

James rolled his eyes. "Muggles are non-magic people. Your parents aren't wizards, are they?"

Lily shook her head. "No. But my mother was very excited about me being a witch."

"Well, that's good," James replied. "I'm guessing you have no clue about the wizarding world, then?"

Lily shook her head. "My mother and father said I was the first witch in the family."

Sirius grinned, his eyes lighting up, as if he had just found an early Christmas present. "Well, I should warn you about Hogwarts, then."

Lily looked at him questioningly, glancing at James. He was listening intently to the taller boy. "What's the matter with it? It's just a school. Isn't it?"

Sirius shook his head slowly. "No way, girlie. Let me ask you something: do you believe in ghosts?"

Lily snickered. "Of course not."

"Well you're in for a real treat, then." Sirius pulled his legs up into the seat, sitting cross-legged. As he talked, Lily noticed he was a very animated person, because his hands tried to imitate his conversation. "There are all sorts of ghosts at Hogwarts, and they haunt you all the time. You won't be able to walk down a hall without accidentally passing through one of them.

"And there's a forbidden forest, full of viscous man-eating monsters. One step into those woods, and you can kiss that foot goodbye. And there are all sorts of traps that you might get caught in. And the sorting ceremony..." His voice drifted off, and he had a sudden look of fear.

"What?" James asked. He was practically out of his seat, listening intently. "My mum and dad wouldn't tell me anything about school. They said it's better to experience it then to know ahead of time."

Sirius clicked his tongue, shaking his head. "I'm so glad you met me first. I'll be able to warn you ahead of time."

"Warn us of what?" Lily asked.

"To be sorted into our houses, they tie us all up and put us into a giant bonfire. Depending on how badly you're burnt will determine which house you will be put in."

His facial expression seemed serious, which frightened Lily. "They're going to burn us?"

"That's a lie."

The three turned to the girl who had responded. She was standing in the doorway, shaking her head. "This isn't the Salem Witchcraft Trials. Honestly, don't you know anything?" She sat down across from Lily.

Sirius glared at her. "I do know. My family has been at Hogwarts for centuries."

"So have mine," James stuttered, but slightly nervous. "Do they really do that, though? My parents wouldn't tell me how we were sorted."

The new girl rolled her eyes, tying her black hair back with a blue ribbon. "Well, if you would read a book for once, you might know what's going on." She looked at Lily and smiled. "I'm Hallayna Brick. If you have any questions to ask, feel free to inquire me about them. I might be a first year, but my parents have informed me." She winked at Sirius, who was trying to bore a hole through her head, it seemed.

"I'm Lily Evans. And I'm afraid I know nothing about magic."

"So you're a muggle-born." Hallayna leaned forward, seeming very interested. "Have you ever driven a car? I've always wondered how they could move without magic."

"Umm...you can't drive until you're at least sixteen," Lily replied. If wizards didn't use cars, how did they get around?

Sirius rolled his eyes, looking over at James. "Do you have anything we could do? This girl talk is boring."

James smirked, but his eyes flickered back to Lily for a second, and she noticed him blushing. "I have some Exploding Snaps...we could play. Just have to watch out. My deck has been awfully sensitive lately."

Lily was thinking about asking what he was talking about, but thought better of it.

She asked Hallayna many questions, relieved to finally have some answers. The boys were playing what appeared to be a card game, but occasionally, one would make a popping noise and the boys would flinch bag, avoiding being snapped.

As the train lurched forward, another girl appeared at their door, looking for a place to sit. But she was much different then the compartment's occupants. She was very small, and her tiny shoulders were barely supporting her heavy bag. "Do you mind if I sit in here? There's no more room. Oh! All the seats are taken. That's all right! I can sit on the floor!"

She stepped in and sat down at James' and Sirius' feet, supporting herself on the wall under the window. The boy's were looking at her oddly: she had interrupted their game. Hallayna was also curious by the newcomer.

"Hi, I'm Hallayna. Who might you be?"

The girl smiled. "I'm Crystal Marx! I'm new here. Are you? Cause I am! I'm new new new! I like bunnies. Wait! Why do they call it Hogwarts? Is it because there are pigs there with toady warts? I don't know much about Hogwarts because I'm muggle-born."

Lily couldn't help but stare. The girl named Crystal had successfully riddled all that off in a few seconds. She wondered if Crystal was suffering from a sugar overdose.

Sirius was looking at James. "Was that English?" Lily heard him whisper. "I've got a better idea for these cards. Care to join me, Pam?"

James seemed to think on this for a moment. "Why not. As long as you're not going to do it to me."

The two boys carefully stepped over Crystal and went out the door. Sirius peeked his head back in. "Save our seats. We'll be back in a minute."

Lily peered out the door, but they were already gone. She wondered what they were doing.

"His name is Pam? That's so cool. My mother uses Pam when she's cooking. She spreads it all over the pans and puts chicken in it and it tastes really good. But I'd rather eat chocolate. But I don't put chocolate in a pan. I eat it from a candy wrapper. Especially Easter bunny shaped chocolates. I love bunnies! Do you think they went to get bunnies?"

Hallayna was obviously awestruck as well by Crystal's rapid conversation. "Uh...I don't think they went to get bunnies."

"Would you like to sit on the bench, Crystal? Since the boys are gone for now." Lily patted the seat next to her.

"I like the floor! Bob's sitting here with me. Bob's nice. He can fly and he's invisible." Crystal smiled at the empty floor space in front of her.

"Who's Bob?" Hallayna couldn't help but ask.

"Bob is my pet rock! I found him when I was searching for Easter eggs this year. I got all kinds of money, and chocolate. My mom bought me a giant bar of chocolate for the trip here, but I left it in my trunk. I really want to eat it. If I don't get it, I'll just have to eat Bob. But I don't want to eat Bob. He's my pet rock! He's invisible and can fly. I found him during an Easter egg hunt."

"Yes, we know," Hallayna interrupted. It appeared she was starting to get irritated by Crystal's hyper rambling. But Lily didn't mind it. It was better than listening to, say, her sister.

"Fine!" Crystal yelled at the ground suddenly. She sat down next to Hallayna and stuck her tongue out at what must be Bob. "I'll just go find another pet rock! There's plenty at Hogwarts, and they have frog warts on them!"

"Hogwarts is the name of a flower," Hallayna said matter-of-factly, but rolled her eyes when she realized her comment didn't matter to Crystal. "I wonder if there's a special fifth house for her..." she whispered to Lily.

Suddenly, Sirius flung himself into the compartment, using the door to sling himself in. But he slipped and fell flat on his face. The girls had just enough time to react and pull their legs up.

"What did you do?" Hallayna asked, voicing what Lily was thinking.

As Sirius started to lift himself off the floor, James quickly ran in to the compartment behind Sirius. He slammed the door and attempted to throw a locking charm at it, but tripped on Sirius instead and landed on him.

"Get off me, Pam!" Sirius mumbled, his face pressed against the rough carpet.

James grinned into Sirius' back. "But I'm so comfy here! I don't want to get up." He snuggled himself into the other boys back, wrapping his arms around Sirius' waist.

Sirius yelled out, jumping up as much as possible. "What in Merlin's name are you doing?!"

Meanwhile, Crystal was gaping in shock. "That could've been me! I'm glad Bob yelled at me...Bob! Oh my God! You killed Bob!" She started poking the boys on their heads, repeating it over and over. "You killed Bob!"

"I didn't kill anybody!" Sirius murmured. "You're heavy, Pam! Get off already!"

"Get off? Are you sure I want to do that here? On top of you? I didn't know you liked me that much Bir. And we only just met!" James blushed sweetly and squeaked.

Sirius's face turned red. "I'm not Bellatrix's dad, now get up!" he pushed at him, and slid out from under him.

James laughed and pushed himself off of Sirius. He picked up his wand and uttered a locking charm.

The girls were all staring in shock. They didn't sound or act like eleven year old boys. "What did you two do?" Lily finally asked.

Sirius pulled himself up, sitting next to Lily. "You don't want to know."

"Let's just say I'm scarred for life," James groaned. "I'm never going to be able to rid my brain of that image."

"There's potions you can take to rid memories," Hallayna said, smiling.

Crystal was still moping over the loss of her imaginary pet. She was whimpering, and suddenly cried out, "YOU KILLED BOB!"

Sirius shot over to her, covering her mouth with his hand. "Shut it, will you. If my cousin hears you, she'll come in here!"

"Your cousin?" Lily asked. "I'm guessing you did something to her to upset her?"

Sirius shrieked and jumped back, wiping his hand on his robes. Obviously, Crystal had licked his hand. "That's disgusting!"

"You scream like a girl," James chuckled.

"So do you," Sirius retorted. "My virgin eyes!" He was covering his face, and from the expression on James', Sirius was making fun of him.

There was a sudden banging on the door, and they all gasped. Sirius's face turned as white as Crystal's shirt. "Don't say anything," he harshly whispered.

"You killed Bob, Sirius!" Crystal screamed.

"SIRIUS! I know you're in there!"

The voice belonged to a girl. A rather angry girl. She was pounding on the door, and James moved in front of it, feebly attempting to hold it shut.

"No, I'm not!" Sirius yelled back.

Hallayna slapped her forehead at Sirius's stupidity.

James freaked out. "You idiot! Why did you say that?!" He wedged himself up against the door hoping that would make it harder to open the door.

Lily pressed herself against her corner, avoiding getting trampled by Sirius. It appeared he was desperate for a hiding place.

"Open this door now, Sirius!" the girl continued to scream.

"I need to hide!" Sirius whimpered, looking at the window. "Maybe I could crawl out of it and get on the roof."

"Unlikely," Hallayna said.

Sirius was pulling at the trunks, and pulled down Lily's. He opened it, much to Lily's protests. "Damn! I won't fit in there."

"You could hide under the seats!" Crystal whispered. She leaned over and looked between her legs. "Oh. You can't. Maybe you need a costume!"

"And where am I going to get a costume?" Sirius asked, throwing Lily's clothes back into her trunk. He stopped suddenly, looking at the long blue dress in his hands. "You're a genius!" he whispered. He looked at Lily. "Please?"

Lily nodded her head, baffled by the entire situation. She was wondering what Sirius had done to his cousin.

"Wait a minute!" Zora laughed, interrupting Lily. "Are you telling me Sirius dressed up in your clothes? I missed seeing him looking like a girl?"

"Are you going to let me finish or not?" Lily asked, taking another sip of Kassie's drink. It was nearly gone. Her head was starting to feel light, and she couldn't help but laugh. "I must admit: he would make a rather unique girl."

Danyel was lying down, her head resting in Greta's lap. "Did you get any pictures?"

"No," Lily replied, licking the taste that lingered on her lips. "Let me finish the story. It gets better. I haven't even got to the part where Sirius owes James."

"Oh yeah! That's the reason we're here." Greta paused for second. "That is why, right?"

James's locking charm was holding out, but they weren't sure for how much longer. His small body was pushing against it, desperately trying to keep Sirius's angry cousin in the hall. "Would you hurry up?" he hissed through gritted teeth.

Hallayna and Crystal had really done a job on Sirius within a minute. He had managed to pull Lily's dress over his own clothes. The long sleeves were just a tad too short on him, and the hem fell to his shins. But when he sat down, it wasn't so bad. Crystal eagerly pulled out her makeup and had attacked Sirius's face.

As Hallayna and Crystal observed their work, Crystal tapped her chin. "You need a new name now...Charlotte!"

Just then, the door was thrown open, revealing an enraged girl. Lily instantly recognized her as the girl in the empty compartment.

James was screaming as if he had just had his eyes gouged out.

Lily looked down at him: he had fallen backwards when the door gave way, landing between the older girl's legs. His hands were covering his face, crying out in horror. "Put some bloody underwear on, woman!"

The girl looked down at him, her face growing even redder, if possible. "You little pervert!" She took out her wand and muttered a spell that sent James against the window. He slumped to the ground, cowering on the floor.

Her eyes glared at the girls, moving from Lily to Hallayna to Crystal and stopping on Sirius. Luckily, Sirius wore his hair out long, so he was able to hide his face by letting his hair fall around it.

But it looked like she wasn't fooled. She raised her wand again, looking at Sirius. She hissed what appeared to be a spell, and sneered. "That will improve your looks. But don't show your face to me at school. You're disgusting." She turned on her heels, but whipped back around when she heard James's whimpering. She kicked her foot, hitting him between his legs. He cried out, and she snickered. "That'll teach you to be a pervert."

As her footsteps faded down the corridor, Sirius leaped up out of his seat. His voice was high and frantic. "What did she do to my face?!"

James cried out again as Sirius jumped on his foot. This just wasn't James's day. He was clutching himself, like a little boy who had to use the bathroom. Lily could only imagine the pain of being kicked in such a delicate place. She leaned over him, trying to make sure he was all right.

Crystal must have had the same idea. She was leaning over, poking him in his side. "Are you alive, cooking spray?"

Her touch startled him, and he jolted, bumping his head against Lily's. She felt his lips touch hers, and Lily jumped back into her seat, her cheeks burning.

Crystal smiled. "The cooking spray has pollinated his flower! Now there will be lots of bunnies!"

Lily was grateful that Hallayna was occupied with Sirius. He had seen his reflection in the window and was hyperventilating. "I can't start the school year like this! Narcissa would notice it was me in the dress if she saw my boil-covered face!"

Hallayna had pulled out her wand and a book, speedily flipping threw it. "I remember reading a counter-spell for this. Just let me find it...Ah! Here it is." She waved her wand, and nervously stuttered out the spell.

Everyone had looked up to watch the boils disappear off of Sirius's face. But they weren't expecting his nose to be gone as well.

"I'm so sorry!" Hallayna gasped, dropping her book.

Sirius looked at her curiously and patted at his face. When he touched the place where his nose belonged, he fainted.

James pulled himself up into the seat next to Lily, avoiding looking at her. It appeared he was embarrassed by their accidental "kiss." He pulled out his wand and in a few seconds, Sirius's nose had reappeared. He kicked Sirius's shin, bringing him around. "You squeal like a girl," James giggled, but painfully. He was obviously still hurting. "You make an ugly woman, Bir." He moved his legs to get comfortable. "You owe me, Sirius Black. It's because of you that your cousin kicked me."

Sirius scowled. "You didn't have to go along with me."

"I should have you kiss it better, since it's your fault."

"I'll owe you."

Hallayna sat back down next to Crystal, relieved to see James had corrected her mistake. "What did you two do to that girl?"

"That's no girl," Sirius growled.

James shuddered. "Yes, she is." He looked like he was going to lurch.

"We went and paid my cousin, Narcissa, a visit," Sirius continued. "We put some Exploding Snaps under the door, and when we opened it..."

The two boys looked at each other and shivered. It was as if they had seen something horrific.

"What did you see?" Crystal asked. "Bunnies?"

James snickered. "Let's just say they were acting like bunnies and trying to multiply."

Zora was on the floor, rolling around. She was clutching her sides, which were aching from her laughter. "That's great..."

"Black and Potter walked in on his cousin?" Greta asked. She was also trying to stifle her laughter. Danyel was asleep on her lap: drinking made her sleepy. Kassie was clinging to one of the poles, preventing herself from falling to the floor.

Lily nodded her head, although it felt very heavy. "That's what they said. It must be true: she was raging mad when we saw her."

Danyel woke up, yawning. "What time is it?"

Greta glanced over at her watch. "It's two in the morning. We'd better get going." She attempted to stand up, but Danyel was still weighing her down. "We can't go to bed if you're laying on me."

"But I'm comfortable here." Danyel snuggled up again on Greta.

Zora pulled herself onto the bed, still giggling. "Poor Danyel. You never heard the end of the story."

The girls gathered their things and hugged Lily goodnight, leaving her alone in her large, quiet room. Lily curled up under her satin sheets and fluffy comforter, her head nestled in her soft pillows; she had no idea that morning held a life changing experience.


	4. First Time For Everything

First Time For Everything 

Chapter Four

(disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or claim it as my own. I am only inspired by the characters and write about them. After all, isn't that what fanfiction is? I write for others to enjoy! So please do!)

(Warning: Alcohol Reference and fighting. But very funny.)

(A/N: Here's where the plot picks up now, for those who were questioning. But I've been hinting at stuff since the beginning, it's just a matter of looking for the clues. Just like JKR LOVES to do in her books... Everything before now has been mainly all comical, but now it picks up in the drama, but still keeps you laughing. Trust me, with my mind, there will be humor. Especially sexually referenced humor. )

When Lily awoke the next morning, she felt terribly groggy. Her eyelids seemed to have gained weight, as if the sandman had built a castle over them to make sure they kept shut. But she managed to open them, only to seal them once more with her hands. The sunlight was enough to make her pull the covers over her face.

There seemed to be something pounding inside her head, as if a little man was chiseling away at her eardrums. But Lily realized the pounding was actually someone knocking on her bedroom door. Unfortunately, her massive headache was amplifying the sound.

"Go away!" Lily moaned, turning onto her stomach and burying her face in the pillows. She wasn't about to admit she had a hangover to her mother.

"Lily, wake up! We have History in fifteen minutes!"

Greta's voice suddenly shook Lily into reality. She wasn't at home, in her upstairs bedroom, with Petunia on the other side of the wall. The voice at the door wasn't her mother's, inviting her to eat a bountiful breakfast. It was an unwelcome reality: Lily was late for class.

Lily jolted up in her bed, looking at the grandfather clock that was by the door. Once her aching mind processed that she had fifteen minutes to take a shower, dry her hair, get dressed, eat breakfast, gather her books, and get to class, she had only thirteen minutes left.

There was a louder knock on the door; or perhaps it only seemed louder, since her headache was growing in intensity. Kassie's voice carried through the wood, and for once, Lily found her chipper voice intolerable. "Lily, we've got ten minutes to get to Binns' classroom. We're going to have to run."

"Go ahead without me," Lily called back, much to her own dismay. Even her own words were stabbing at her pain. "I'll meet you there."

She heard their rapid footsteps leading away from her room, down the tower. Lily fell back against her pillows. She was half tempted to stay here, sleeping away the pain. But she thought against it. It would be poor show if the Head Girl played hooky on the first day of school.

Pulling off her pajamas and hastily putting on her skirt and sweater, she peeked at the clock. She had exactly ten minutes before the bell rang. Tying her hair up in a messy ponytail, Lily slipped her school robe on, stepped into her shoes, and gathered her books. She never had to run to a class before, but there was a first time for everything.

Since she didn't know what classes she had today, and had no clue when she would make it up to her room again, Lily cast a shrinking spell on her books. Stuffing all the small books in a bag, Lily hoisted it over her shoulder and opened the door.

"Zora!"

Zora's hazel eyes were smiling at her. "Well, sleepy head. I've never known you to be late."

Lily walked past her, leading her down the staircase. "You didn't have to wait for me. Now you'll be late on my account."

Zora had caught up with her at the bottom of the steps and shrugged. "I don't care," she grinned. "Not like Professor Binns will notice us arriving late. He doesn't even know our names."

The two girls raced through the empty halls. Occasionally, they came across a stray student or two, apparently first years that were lost. Luckily, Sir Nicholas and The Fat Friar, two ghosts, were helping them, saving Lily the trouble of stopping and giving directions.

The bell rang just as Lily and Zora stepped over the threshold of Binns' classroom. They halted, nearly crashing into Potter, who seemingly had just arrived as well.

"Morning, ladies," he smiled charmingly. He, apparently, was unaffected by last night's events. Black, however, was sitting in the back of the class, cowering low in his seat. It was as if he was trying to hide under it. Zora walked over and sat next to him, a teasing smile on her full red lips.

Lily was now alone with Potter in the doorway. He turned slightly, allowing her to pass. She saw an empty desk in the middle of the room, and unfortunately, Potter sat down next to her. Lily turned her attention to the front, expecting to hear the teacher begin his drawling lecture. But he wasn't there.

Kaitlynn Trams, the Ravenclaw prefect, gently tugged on Lily's right sleeve. "Where's Binns? He's a minute late. That's not like him."

Before Lily could shrug her answer, their attention was averted. Crystal Marx, the girl Lily had met on the train all those years ago, was screaming and waving at the chalkboard.

"It's a sign! The world is ending! The chalk bunnies are coming to life and are going to turn us into dinosaurs!"

Why Crystal was in Ravenclaw, Lily would never know.

As Crystal ducked under her desk, whimpering, Lily noticed that something was different about the chalkboard. There was no previous chalk marks on the green tinted wood, but yet, something chalky was forming on the board. It was growing clearer, and closer.

The room gasped as Professor Binns appeared in the classroom through the wall. Their History of Magic teacher was...history. Or, rather, a ghost. But Lily knew that this would definitely be talked about in days to come.

The class became chaotic as several Ravenclaw girls shrieked and the boys were laughing. One girl fainted from shock, since she was in the front row, getting the full view of Binns' dramatic entrance.

And yet, despite the commotion, the ghostly Binns started his lesson. His voice was just as dry and monotone as when he was alive. "The goblin rebellion made a turning point..."

History couldn't end soon enough. When the bell rang, many students raced out of the room, undoubtedly going to tell the rest of the school what had happened. Greta nudged Lily while she was picking up her books.

"Here's your school schedule. I picked it up for you since you slept through breakfast." Greta handed her Lily's paper.

"Thanks," Lily replied, tucking it into her bag after seeing that Potions was next. She looked at the front of the class, where Lupin was talking to Professor Binns, who was oblivious to the fact that Black and Potter were throwing paper through him. Lily rolled her eyes and joined her friends in the hall.

Potions was a little more upbeat compared to History. Of course, Professor Boyle didn't appear through the wall, but she did have them make a Memory potion, to make sure no one had forgotten how over the summer.

Lunchtime was more that welcome to Lily. She was starving and in need of that free hour. After grabbing a sandwich from the Great Hall, she took headed up the staircases to the fifth floor. After passing the statue of Boris the Bewildered, who looked extremely baffled this morning, Lily disappeared into the Prefect's bathroom.

She was relieved to see that it was empty. Of course, most students hadn't slept in like she had and were able to take a shower before classes. Discarding her clothes next to her books and bag, she indulged herself in the warm, colorful, bubbly water.

"My, my."

Lily nearly had water up her nose; she had dropped so low under the bubbles. Crossing her arms over her, she looked around for the giggling. Of course, it didn't come from the doorway or the ground. It came from above.

"It's been a while since someone's visited the bathtub at lunch time," the pearly figure of a young girl giggled. It was very rare to see this particular ghost giggling. She was popular for her loud wailing.

"Hello, Myrtle," Lily said politely, though slightly irritated that Myrtle had interrupted her peace. "Do you mind turning around so I can get my clothes?"

Myrtle frowned at her. "I live in the bathroom. There's nothing I haven't seen." Her lip started quivering. "Though, I never got to see the things I have now when I was alive..."

"Then wouldn't it be one of the benefits of being dead?" Lily replied hopefully.

Obviously that was the wrong thing to say. Myrtle's eyes welled up with fat tears, and she let out a tremendous sob. "You try being dead and see how you like it!" she cried angrily, before disappearing down the drain.

Lily rolled her eyes. Never had she met such an emotional ghost. Then again, she had never seen one before she came to Hogwarts. Pulling herself out of the giant tub, she dried off and put her clothes back on. She still had half an hour until her next class. Sitting down and opening her bag, she found her class assignment. She had Double Transfiguration next, which wasn't too far from the bathroom.

Deciding to finish reading the chapter she has started last night, she pulled out her book and enlarged it, and watched as an envelope slid out from the pages. Puzzled for a moment, she remembered she had left it there after finding it in her robes.

"I guess I could read it now," she said to no one in particular. She ripped it open, pulling out the folded paper. She instantly recognized the handwriting as her mother's. She smiled at the thought of receiving a last minute letter from her mother, reminding her that she loved her and was proud of her. But Lily quickly realized this wasn't one of those letters.

_My dear Lily,_

_I write this letter out of my love for you, and also of great fear. Recent events that have been arising have pushed me to reveal to you what I have not shared with anybody. I have not told Petunia, although I believe she has her suspicions. Not even Thomas knows. _

_It is difficult for me to find the words to tell you this. But I must. You need to know because it is important for you to know. I have harbored this secret since I was twenty years old, since I left my family. I'm not sure anymore if it was because they embarrassed me, or they were embarrassed by me. But I do know that my father and I shared different views, and I ran away. The last thing I heard about them was that they had told everyone I had died in a train accident while on route to France. Rather unlikely, in my opinion. But with everybody believing I was dead, I was able to start a new life. One without spells and potions and magic._

_That is, until you were born. I'm sure this is shocking to you. Or at least, I believe it is. But Lily, I am a witch, born to an old wizarding family. Hearing you talk about school and your friends, and all those times you told us of those who called you just foul names, I've wanted to tell you that you weren't. But that would risk exposing myself, and I didn't want to bring my past upon you and your sister and Thomas._

_But now, I must reveal the truth. For as I have said, certain events are occurring, and I fear that you will soon be affected by them. Hopefully, you will not become involved in them, if I can find the strength to tell you the truth about me._

_There are so many things, and I am afraid to tell you because I don't want you to hate me. I have done things I regret doing, but I know that some of them had to happen, or I would not be able to have you. Lily, I love you, and that's why I will tell you about_

Lily flipped the paper over, and found it blank. Eyes wide, she kept turning it, as if hoping more words would magically appear on the paper. Why would her mother send her a letter that wasn't finished? And why was her mother choosing now to tell her that she was a witch?

The bell for class was her only answer, and Lily gathered her things and rushed down the hall to Transfiguration. But her mind was clouded as she bumped into students who were passing her. She was numb to anything but what was written in the letter. She didn't notice Zora waving to her, showing her an open seat next to her. Lily slid into an empty desk in the back, staring at her book.

'She's a witch?' Lily thought to herself, replaying the letter in her mind. 'How could she now tell me before?' Lily thought of taking the letter out again, which had been shoved violently into her bag, but Professor McGonagall came into the room.

"Today, we will be working on Switching Spells. Put your books away and take out your wands." The classroom was filled with a rustling noise as books were shoved into bags, and Peter Pettigrew dropped his rather nervously on the floor. McGonagall conjured two different animals for each student: one, an ugly, tan bat, the other, an adorable little puppy dog. Peony Bleckenstain, a seventh year Slytherin, was struggling with her dog. Apparently, it wanted to be with Greta more than the girl who was pulling on its tail to make him stay.

Lily's puppy was looking at her with innocent eyes, and was slightly whimpering. He rubbed his cold nose against her hand, as if sensing her stress and wishing to cheer her up. She forced a smile and scratched its ears.

"We will start with switching the ears of the bat and canine, and once everyone has done that successfully, we will continue." Professor McGonagall stepped down from her desk to walk among them.

"But that's going to look awfully horrid, bat ears on a dog," Kassie said, hesitating.

"We will change them back at the end of class, Miss Lionel."

As the class began to work, first switching the ears, and then the tail for the bat wings, Lily felt pity for her animals. They did look rather odd. But they didn't seem to notice anything different. The puppy dog was playing with her feather quill, while the bat slept. A few rows in front of her, Lily noticed that Potter and Black were finding something very amusing. She would have thought it was just their animals' appearance, but they weren't looking at their desks. Their wands were pointed low, so McGonagall couldn't see, and in the direction of another student.

Lily allowed her eyes to fall upon Severus Snape, a young man who didn't seem to take much care in personal hygiene. His hair always seemed to be drowning in grease, and his pale complexion made Lily wonder if he was suffering from some illness. But those small features didn't matter at that moment. What was currently drawing attention to his figure was his ears. Or what were now his ears. They were fluffy and droopy, and matched the tail that had sprouted from his backside.

Slowly, a case of giggling broke out, and Professor McGonagall looked up from Danyel's desk, gasping. "Black! Potter! Detention for both of you this evening. See me after class."

"What did we do?" Black said innocently, although laughing.

"I personally think he looks better like that," Potter said thoughtfully, smiling at an oblivious Snape.

Snape eyed him curiously, and realized that everybody was staring at him. "What the bloody hell is so funny?" he grumbled. Lavynia Roach, Snape's housemate, handed him a compact mirror from her bag. She wasn't trying hard enough to hide her smile.

Snape's eyes turned sharply from his reflection to the mischief pair, practically growling at them. "Change...me...back...NOW!"

McGonagall swooped in to stop Snape from pouncing on Black, who was giving him a cheeky look. With a simple wave of her wand, Snape's rightful body parts returned to him. "Now, if there will be no more disruptions, we will continue." She eyed Potter and Black, and their smirks disappeared rather quickly.

Dinner at the Gryffindor table was full of laughter as several students recollected their earlier classes. Some were reenacting Binns's entrance in History that morning, while others were commenting about Snape's fluffy ears.

But Lily wasn't taking part in any of the conversation. She was hardly eating her food, either. Even though she had barely eaten anything today, her mind was blocking out any thoughts but of her mother. Was she serious about being a witch? If she was, her mother had been very successful at hiding the fact. But what was it that she regretted doing, which she felt Lily needed to know? And why did she end the letter in the middle of a sentence? Perhaps someone had come in while she was writing it, and she never found the chance to finish it. Whatever the reason, the letter was haunting Lily.

Before she knew it, Zora was tapping her on the shoulder. "Are you all right?" Students were getting up to return to their dorms to attack the books for the first night of homework. "You've haven't seemed yourself since after lunch."

Lily shrugged, not sure if she should share her mother's letter with anyone. She had said, after all, that she was telling Lily her secret because she might be in danger. Or at least, that's how it seemed. Now Lily was worried about what danger she could be in.

"Can you help me with my History essay, Lily?" Kassie asked, stepping beside her as Lily stood up to leave. "You know history is my worst subject."

Lily just nodded in reply, and walked towards the doors that led to the grand staircase. But a crowd of students was blocking the way. Several boys were eagerly shouting, while girls were gasping in awe.

"Let me through! I'm Head Girl!" Lily shouted, pushing her way through. Some students willing moved, others she had to shove out of the way. An arm reached out and held her back, and she looked at the owner's face. "Let me pass, Black."

He shook his head. "It won't do any good. Snape asked for it. He struck first."

Lily looked ahead, and saw Potter and Snape hitting each other with nothing to hold them back. "Somebody needs to stop them!"

Black shook his head. "Like I said, you won't be able to do anything. Snape was upset about our little prank, and struck James. So James is just defending himself."

Lily watched as Potter's right fist connected with Snape's nose, and everyone gasped at the sound of the bone breaking. As blood splattered on the floor, Lily couldn't stand by and watch anymore. She ducked under Black's arm and grabbed Potter's robe.

"Stop right now!" she yelled, taking hold of his arm.

But he was taller than her, and determined to continue. "Stand back, Evans." He jerked his arm away. "Snape needs a lesson in manners."

"This isn't how to do it," Lily said firmly.

Snape sneered at them. "You should listen to your Mudblood girlfriend, Potter. If you know what's good for you."

"Don't call her that!" Potter yelled at him, lunging out to hit him again.

But Lily beat him to it. She stepped in front of Potter, her right arm moving swiftly, straight into Snape's already broken nose. He cried out in pain, slumping to the ground, clutching his face. His hands were soaked with blood, and the crimson fluid flowed down his robes and dripped on the floor.

Lily's eyes were wide and fearsome, and everyone around them took a step back. Nobody dared move, not even Potter. He gaped in awe at her, and then finally spoke. "Bloody hell, woman. I didn't know you could throw a punch."

Lily was angry. It finally hit her that her mother had kept a secret from her. Lied to her. And she wasn't who she thought she was. She wasn't a 'Mudblood,' as Snape had called her all these years. And she was infuriated. She needed an outlet for her anger.

Lily turned around, glaring at Potter. "Don't call me 'woman,'" she mumbled, and before she could think about her action, she drew her arm back again and punched Potter in his own nose.

His cries were apparently enough to finally call some professors into the hall, as well as the Headmaster, Dumbledore. He looked at them, and for the first time, Lily realized it was with an expression of disappointment.

Professor McGonagall was the first to speak. "What is going on here?" she demanded, pushing her way through the crowd. "Miss Evans, can you tell me?"

Lily could only hang her head.

"I saw it all!" a very excited voice chirped. Lily looked up to see Crystal ducking under people's arms, appearing beside McGonagall's side. "The dirty haired boy yelled at the Head Boy who likes to get kissed by other boys, and he yelled back, and then the slimy one hit him in the cheek, and they started hitting each other over and over and over and over and over and over until Miss Head Girl came in and hit greasy boy in the face and then she hit the boy kisser and then you showed up."

Lily wasn't surprised to see a look of shock on McGonagall's face as her eyes landed on hers. She turned her head away, looking down at the blood that was still sprinkling from Snapes' nose.

Dumbledore was the one who broke the silence. "Mister Black, I will kindly ask you to assist Mister Snape to the hospital wing. I will visit him in a moment after Madam Pomfrey has tended to him. Mister Potter, Miss Evans: please follow me." He turned and slowly walked back up the steps.

Lily did as she was told, and Potter followed behind her. But they both stopped as they heard a cry of pain. Snape was rocking back and forth on the floor, lying on his side, and Zora was now yelling at Black. "Why did you hit him?"

"Everybody else was doing it," he honestly replied.


	5. Dusty Thoughts

Chapter 5: Dusty Thoughts

(disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or claim it as my own. I am only inspired by the characters and write about them. After all, isn't that what fanfiction is? I write for others to enjoy! So please do! Warning: sexual preferences. I have also put the name of the chapter in parenthesis to inform you of a time change, or change of scene)

(dusty thoughts)

Dumbledore's office was always an interesting place to be. The walls were covered with portraits of previous Headmasters and Mistresses, and they were all pretending to sleep so that they could eavesdrop. The giant telescope was up the staircase, where Lily figured Dumbledore spent some of his free time, watching the skies. She wished she had such a contraption like that to help with Astronomy.

Lily had only been in this office a few times, and all the previous visits had been on good terms. But now, she sat in a chair across from her Headmaster, with James Potter by her side, feeling ashamed. Normally, she would expect Sirius Black to be sitting where she was, but not tonight.

Dumbledore sat down in his chair, turning it slowly to face them. His normally twinkling eyes were dim, as he looked over the edge of his half-moon glasses. He sighed deeply, and shook his head before speaking.

"You must understand that as Head Boy and Head Girl, you set an example for the rest of the student body." He looked at them both, and Lily nodded her head. Potter mumbled his acknowledgement.

"This is your final year at Hogwarts. And on the first day back, you participate in a fight. I cannot dismiss this easily. I must say," he said, looking directly at Lily, "that I am flabbergasted by your actions, Miss Evans."

Lily instantly looked down at her hands, which were in her lap. She could hardly believe it herself that a few moments ago her hands had inflicted pain on someone else because of her anger. She could still feel the old man's stare, and looked up. "I'm sorry, Headmaster."

"I know you are, but that still does not erase the wrong doing that has already occurred." His eyes flashed over to Potter, and then down at his desk, where he jotted something down on a piece of parchment. "Both of you will be serving detention."

"Both of us?" Potter asked, seeming quite upset. He nearly jumped out of his chair. "Sir, it was all my fault. Evans was just trying to stop Snape and me."

Dumbledore raised his hand, signaling Potter to silence himself. Potter sat back down. "But that still does not clear the fact that Miss Evans engaged herself in the fight, hurting both Severus Snape and yourself, Mister Potter." He sighed again as he handed them each a slip. "You will both be doing something constructive with your hands, since you so fervently wish to use them. And you will be doing it together, working as a team. As Head Boy and Girl, the students look to you for guidance, and you will have to get along with each other, even if it's just for professional reasons." The sparkle seemed to suddenly reappear in his blue eyes.

"Yes sir," Lily and Potter replied.

"Very well, you may go. I must see Mister Snape about his own detention." Dumbledore smiled and shooed them out of his office.

Potter seemed to be swearing under his breath. "He gave us a weeks worth of detention, cleaning all sorts of things...and with no magic. It's bad enough McGonagall's making me and Sirius clean the livery stables with Hagrid."

"Really?" Lily replied plainly, her voice reflecting no emotion.

He must not have noticed. "Yes. She said it was because we seemed so interested in animals. Of course, it's only for tonight. I hear you gave Sirius detention in the Owlry all week."

Lily blinked, realizing he was speaking to her. She had been dazed, still thinking about her letter, which was crumpled in her bag. "What?"

Potter stopped shortly in the hall as the gargoyle slid back into place, concealing the entry to Dumbledore's office. He put his hand gently on her shoulder, stopping her. "Is something wrong, Evans? You have definitely not been yourself." He rubbed his nose, smiling at her. "I mean, I've never known you to hit anybody."

Lily looked down at the floor, examining the hem of her robes. "Why are you so interested in my problems?"

"Ah, so there is something wrong."

Lily expected him to be smiling in his usual boyish manner, happy that he had figured something out. She expected him to bother her, pestering her to tell him. But when she looked up, he wasn't smiling. But he was looking at her. And he appeared sincerely concerned.

"You wouldn't understand," Lily sighed.

"I haven't done anything to irritate you, have I?" He finally smiled. "That would be setting a record if I did. The first day back, and you're already angry with me. Of course, you did hit me..."

Lily shook her head, and suddenly felt the long awaited tears of stress swelling in her eyes. "It's not you. Trust me." Before he could notice her puffy eyes, she took off down the hall, not stopping until she got to the tower.

The Fat Lady wasn't in her portrait. Obviously, she was off talking to her friends. No doubt catching up on the latest gossip, which Lily was sure would be about her and the fight. She leaned against the wall, fighting back the tears. She didn't know why she was crying. Maybe it was because she was so frustrated, and tears were her only outlets for expressing her emotions. And hitting Snape and Potter.

Lily slumped down the wall, her robes flooding around her as the tears cascaded down her cheeks. Her mother had been lying to her all these years. She wasn't who she thought she was. She wasn't being herself. She suddenly felt very alone.

"I thought you were Myrtle."

Lily looked up through puffy eyes at a tired face, which was smiling at her. Remus Lupin was kneeling down in front of her, and she had never realized before the faded scars on his cheeks. One of them seemed fairly new, perhaps one he received a few days ago.

Lupin must have sensed her staring at his wounds, because he coughed and stood up. "My mom's cat doesn't like me much." He offered her a hand, which she accepted. He easily pulled her small frame off the ground. "I saw James and he told me he was worried about you. Said something about you were upset."

Lily wiped away the tears on her sleeve. "I'll be all right. It's just the stress of the first day."

"I've never known you to give two boys nosebleeds during the other years."

Lily couldn't help but laugh. "It was only Snapes' nose that bled, and it was already doing that before I hit him."

The Fat Lady appeared at that moment, smiling at them. "I'm sorry, dearies. Have you been waiting for me?"

"Not long," Lupin smiled. "Antipodean Opaleye."

The lady smiled back at him and the portrait swung away from the wall, allowing Lily and Lupin to crawl into the common room. Many students were about, and Lily was suddenly flooded with conversation.

"That was quite a punch!"

"Did you hurt your hand at all on Potter's fat head?"

"Hey, maybe she deflated it for him!"

"I've been waiting years for you to pummel that Slytherin for his foul mouth."

"Did Dumbledore let you off easy?"

Lily was absolutely bewildered by her housemates' reactions. They were excited about what she had done. But she couldn't shake her stress and join in on their merriment. She smiled in reply to everyone, avoiding speaking. Zora and Greta pulled her to the side.

"Did you hear? Sirius punched Snape again after you two left with the Headmaster. McGonagall was very upset about that. Said something about doubling his detention." Zora giggled. "I guess he's trying to break his own record."

"Are you feeling all right?" Greta asked, noticing Lily's wet cheeks. "What did Dumbledore say to you?"

Lily shook her head. "I only have a week's worth of detention. And Potter and I have to do it together."

"With that insufferable show off? He'll probably do something stupid to impress you and get himself another week's detention." Zora ruffled her hands through her raven hair, imitating Potter. "Look at me, I'm Head Boy and I can play with a Snitch."

Greta was laughing, but Lily wasn't too amused. Not that Zora's impersonation wasn't dead on. "I'm sorry, but I'm rather tired. It's been a rather stressful day." Lily walked towards the girls' staircase, bypassing those who wanted to question her further.

Her bed never looked so inviting, beckoning to her with its fluffy pillows and soft comforter. It offered her a warm, safe place to hide from the chaos of today. But Lily didn't lie down. She couldn't sleep, even if Black put a sleeping potion in her tea, which he had done in their second year.

She pulled her chair out and sat down, finding a spare piece of parchment. She wouldn't be able to sleep unless she wrote to her mother. But what would she say? Lily stared at the paper, her black quill in hand. But she was having trouble finding the words. She didn't want to say something that would cause trouble at home. If her father found it, then he might question her mother about it. Or if Petunia found out. She shuddered to think what she would say. Of course, it might not be any worse than what she's previously said.

Lily began to scratch the inky words onto the paper, hoping that something other than nonsense would be written.

_Mother,_

_Thank you for your letter. If you don't mind, something was forgotten, and I would appreciate it if you would send it to me, please. Give Dad a kiss for me. _

_Lily_

Short and simple, but it would have to do. Lily didn't want to take the chance of getting her mother in trouble and never hearing the rest of what she had to say. Folding the note up and placing it in an envelope, she addressed it to her house and set it on top of her books. She would have to send it in the morning before class. Lily pulled out her schedule to see when that would be. It was Double Defense Against the Dark Arts. She tucked her schedule in her book and turned out the lights.

Finally nestling herself in her bed, she sighed deeply and drifted quickly to sleep. But it wasn't a peaceful rest. She had a rather unusual dream, where her mother was walking around with a snake around her neck and Potter was scrubbing the bedpans and wearing them on his head, with Black in the background modeling her blue dress and high heels.

(dusty thoughts)

"Well, if it isn't Evans. What are you doing up for breakfast?"

Lily glared at Sirius Black, who was smugly eating a large Belgian waffle, smothered with butter and syrup. How she so wanted to pour the jug of sticky maple down his head, but Lily resisted. "Good morning to you, too," she replied sarcastically.

"Now, now. We don't need another fight." Zora scooted over so Lily could sit next to her. Her hazel eyes weren't wavering from Black. "You wouldn't want Lily giving you a black eye now, would you?" She smiled haughtily at him. "Don't want to spoil your complexion. A bruised nose wouldn't go with a lacy dress."

Lily had never seen Black choke on his food before, even when he inhaled it like a vacuum cleaner. Little Peter Pettigrew was pounding on his friend's back, and soon a piece of soggy waffle shot over Lily's shoulder and fell on the floor.

"You told them?" Black asked angrily, eyeing Lily.

"Told them what?" Potter had just arrived, taking a seat next to his gasping friend. "That you don't know how to swallow?"

Black's head whipped around to glower at Potter. "No, about when I had to wear Evans' dress."

Potter smiled, slightly chuckling. "Those were the good old' days, weren't they, Bir?"

"What do you mean, good? That was the worst day of my life." He tore into a piece of toast.

Zora giggled. "If I gave you a galleon, would you wear it again?" Lily just barely noticed the wink she aimed at him.

Black eyed her curiously. "Really?"

"I'll give you a sickle!" Kassie piped in.

"For that you can only get a picture," Black grunted, but his gaze never wavered from Zora. She smiled haughtily at him before turning back to her oatmeal.

The hall suddenly filled with the sound of flapping as dozens of owls flew in to deliver the morning mail. Lily watched as a barn owl landed at their table to give Greta a package. Lily knew that she wouldn't have a reply all ready, even though she had sent the note to her mother early this morning.

"I can't believe I forgot this!" Greta exclaimed, clutching it to her chest as if it were a teddy bear from her childhood. "I don't what I would have done without this!"

"What is it?" Lily asked, feeling obligated to do so.

"It's my book I've been writing. I'm almost done with it. I just need a title for it, though." Greta sighed happily and tucked the notebook into her bag.

Zora stood up, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "We should get a move on to class. Professor Toddy won't want us late for our first N.E.W.T. class."

Zora was right. They had all made it to the classroom on time, but an unexpecting Hufflepuff failed to arrive before the bell. Professor Athena Toddy met him at the door, her pale eyes watching him with such intensity that the poor boy nearly fainted with fright. Her voice was almost majestic, a tone which no one dared disobey.

"Take your seat, Mister Nicklehoff, and remember to be on time from now on."

"Y-yes, ma'am." Poor Thomas shuffled to a seat in the back, near Black and Potter, who were hiding their laughter. But one look from Professor Toddy silenced them rather quickly.

"Today starts your first lesson which will prepare you for your Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test. And I will assure you, it's name holds true." Lily couldn't help but watch the sunlight shimmer on her silver flowing hair. "I will expect you to work hard this term, to prepare for this important exam." She approached her desk, tapping her wand on top of her book, sending it flipping through its pages. "Please turn to page 394, and we shall begin today's lessons."

(dusty thoughts)

After finishing her homework for her previous classes, Lily rushed through dinner and went upstairs to her room to change for detention. McGonagall had informed her and Potter that they would be cleaning the trophy room, much to Filch's delight. Apparently, the caretaker was rather eager to have the Head Boy and Girl serve a detention for him. Said it would set an example to all that not even the top students could get away with things.

When Lily entered the trophy room, she saw that Potter was already there, scrubbing a rather large Quidditch trophy. "Where's Filch?"

"Dumbledore asked him to monitor something, not sure what." He rubbed vigorously at the shiny metal. "He'll check on us in two hours to see our progress," Potter grunted, imitating Filch's raspy voice.

"So we're just supposed to clean?"

"That's what it looks like," Potter smiled, tossing her a rag. "Pity we can't use magic. I'd be done in a minute."

"The point is to use our hands so that we learn that using your fists is not the answer." Lily pulled out a plaque from the open cabinet and began scrubbing at it with the cleansing formula in the nearby bucket.

They worked in silence for quite some time, and Lily couldn't help but let her mind wander. She wondered if her mother had received her note, and understood what she meant. Lily wondered if her mother really was a witch, and if she was, was she going to start acting like one? And what was it that she had been rambling about regretting?

"What's on your mind?"

"Excuse me?" Lily asked, not hearing what he had said since Potter had disrupted her train of thought.

"You look like something's bothering you." He had put down the second Quidditch cup he had been cleaning, and tossed the rag inside of it. "You haven't been yourself since you got back to school."

"So I've been told," Lily muttered, not looking up from the third plaque she was now scrubbing. Apparently, some boy named Tom did something 35 years ago that earned him a reward. She placed it back on the shelf and grabbed a small cup.

"Do you want to talk about it?" came Potter's voice, sounding unusually humble.

"No, I don't, thank you," Lily snapped. She paused for a moment, and then turned to look at him. He was watching her with sincere eyes, not flustered at all by her outburst. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude."

"That's all right." He smiled. "I'm used to getting yelled at. Seems to be something about me that makes people react like that."

"It's because you're always trying to show off. The teachers don't like that in their classrooms." Lily looked back at the small trophy and wiped her towel over it.

Potter's voice was low and soft when he spoke. "You don't like it either. Can't believe it took me nearly six years to figure that out."

Lily kept staring at the cup, but she had stopped rubbing it. Why was Potter talking like this? What happened to the arrogant, obnoxious Potter? Was her father right? Or maybe she was starting to see him in a new light. "I have to admit, Snape did look better with fuzzy ears."

He suddenly perked up, grinning from ear to ear. "See, I told McGonagall that, but she didn't believe me." Potter laughed, moving to the cabinet next to Lily. He opened the glass doors and took things off the shelves so that he could dust them. "Even Hagrid agreed. We told him all about it last night in the stables. Made him laugh so loud that old Kettleburn came out and scolded him."

"I could just imagine him trying to wag his finger at Hagrid when he hasn't got any," Lily giggled.

Potter stared at her wide-eyed, but his smile was still stuck on his face. "Was that humor from Lily Evans that I just heard?" He grabbed playfully at his chest, gasping for air. "I think I'm going to have a heart attack!"

"Oh, stop teasing me!" Lily swatted him with her rag, flinging dust and cleaning solution all over him. He coughed and brushed it off, smirking at her. His eyes were glittering with the normal mischievous glimmer he usually had, and Lily wondered what he was thinking. Then she noticed that he had picked up his rag, spinning it around. "Don't you dare..."

Potter smiled devilishly. "And why not? You did it to me. It's only fair."

"But I'm a girl. You wouldn't hurt a girl, would you?" She was now hiding behind the open door of her cabinet, her back pressed to the wall. She didn't realize that this was a bad position to be in, until Potter pulled the door back and closed it, leaving her trapped between the wall and him.

"Well, if I'm not supposed to hurt girls, what am I supposed to do?"

He was towering over her, and Lily couldn't help but look up into his eyes, which were oddly quite charming at the moment. Maybe it was because her emotions were already jumbled together in an invisible blender.

He placed a hand on the wall, leaning against it for support, but also blocking her from sliding off to the side. His smile was so warm, and so close to her own nervous lips. "Maybe I'm supposed to kiss them..."

"I thought Sirius was the only one you kissed." Lily could feel her heart pick up its pace, and she wasn't sure if it was because she wanted to run or was anticipating his move.

He frowned slightly. "That was just play. I wouldn't kiss somebody I didn't love."

Lily's eyes widened. Love. He had just said it himself. She had known for years that James Potter was crazy about her, but love? She couldn't respond, because that emotion had been swirled around in her blundered thoughts and she was having trouble sorting through them.

"What are you two love birds doing? I told the Headmaster it would be bad for you two to work together."

Lily was actually grateful for the first time since Filch started working at Hogwarts to see him. His interruption was just what she needed. "We were just discussing which cabinet to clean next."

Filch eyed them with a scrutinized glare. His pet cat, Mrs. Norris, was cradled in his arms, and he subconsciously scratched at her ears. Lily remembered Zora mentioning something about how he had a rather unusual attachment to the cat. Of course, she had said it in a mocking tone.

"Get back to work, and keep your hands to yourself." Filch was grimacing at Potter, who had quickly moved away from Lily. "Honestly, what ever happened to using the old punishments? If I were Headmaster, I'd have you shackled and hanging from the ceiling. And whipped." He smiled and then left the room, hearing a noise down the hallway.

"Kinky little bastard, isn't he?" Potter whispered.

Lily couldn't help but smile.

After another two carefully watched hours of scrubbing dust off of trophies until they glimmered, Lily and Potter were free to go to their dormitories. Lily rubbed at her sore arms, yawning all the way to the Fat Lady's portrait.

"Antipodean Opaleye," Potter yawned, and the weary pair tumbled into the common room. There were only a few students still awake, bent over their homework that was lit by their candles. Lily noticed the red head from the sorting ceremony. His book was open, providing a pillow for his head as he slept.

"I wonder if we should wake him?" Lily whispered, pointing to him.

"He reminds me of Sirius." Potter approached him and tapped his shoulder. "Hey, mate. Go on to bed."

The boy jolted up in his seat, a red mark across his left cheek where the pages had pressed against it. "What time is it?"

"Late," Potter replied, picking up the boy's belongings. "You need to get to bed."

"Thanks," the boy stuttered, still half asleep. He blushed when he saw Lily watching, and grabbed his things before he disappeared up the boys' steps.

"I suppose that's my cue to go to bed as well," Lily sighed, still rubbing her shoulder. Perhaps a good night's sleep on her fluffy mattress would do some good, as well as a hot shower in the morning.

"About earlier..."

Lily shook her head. "No need to explain, Potter." She started walking towards the stairs, but he held out his arm and caught her sleeve.

"What do I need to get you to notice me?"

She looked at him disbelievingly. "I've always noticed you. From the first day on the train. I wouldn't be talking to you if I didn't notice you."

He sighed. "I don't mean like that. What is it going to take for me to win your heart?"

Now she understood. Lily looked at the floor for a moment, and then straight into his hazel eyes. "Just be yourself. No showing off, or any pranks to grab my attention. You've had it. I'm tired of people acting like someone they're not."

"I can do that," he said positively. "I swear." He smiled with his usual boyish grin and bounded up the stairs. Lily shook her head, amazed that she had said that. What happened if he did change? Would that affect how she felt?

It was all too much to think about, what with her mother's shocking news. She shut the door to her room and crawled into bed, still wearing her dusty uniform. Her muscles were aching too much to do anything but sleep.


	6. Dinner and a Detention

Chapter 6: Dinner and a Detention

(disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or claim it as my own. I am only inspired by the characters and write about them. After all, isn't that what fanfiction is? I write for others to enjoy! So please do!)

(AN: I realized while writing this chapter that I had forgotten something in Ch.1, so I went back and redid it. So you need to go back and read it! If you can't tell what I added/changed, then I did a good job! )

"Follow me, please. And remember: remain calm. If they feel threatened in any way, they will run off, and it will be very difficult to find them." The class was following Professor Kettleburn to an isolated pen in the entry of the forest. It was a beautiful afternoon, and the sun was high overhead, its rays peaking through the leaves.

The morning had been much better than the first two, Lily acknowledged. Except for the fact that she had not received a reply from her mother yet. But she told herself not to worry about it, since it might take a few days for her to respond in privacy. For now, Lily would grin and bare it.

But there was something else on her mind now. James Potter. She couldn't find herself to meet his glances. After last night, the look in his eyes had frightened her. Not like the beasts of the forest scared the students. She was scared that he might actually be able to 'win her over,' as he had said. But that didn't frighten her. It was the fact that a part of her might actually let him.

"Approach slowly, and make sure you have a gentle expression," Kettleburn said, bringing Lily back around. The old man was standing at the gate of a pen, his disfigured hand preparing to open it. The poor man had encountered so many experiences with magical creatures. Lily wondered when one would finally swallow him whole and save him the torture of losing another limb.

"Can anyone tell me what these marvelous creatures are?" Kettleburn asked, taking care not to raise his voice.

Lily looked into the pen, and only saw one animal. It resembled a large ape, with shimmering silver fur. It was actually rather beautiful, with its hair glimmering in the sunlight. She racked her brain to think of the identity of the beast.

"It's a Demiguise," Potter said suddenly. Many heads turned to look at him. He was standing with his usual group, and they were all attentive to the ape in the pen. Potter continued, "The Demiguise is able to make itself invisible, and its hair can be woven to make invisibility cloaks."

Kettleburn smiled a nearly toothless grin. "Ten points to Gryffindor! Very well, Potter. I trust you have seen one before?"

Black was chuckling and elbowed Potter, who replied, "I guess you can say that, professor."

Seemingly excepting this answer, Kettleburn continued. "Now, there are actually ten Demiguises in here, but it appears that some of them are a little nervous." The gray man stepped into the pen, making a clicking noise with his tongue. It drew the attention of the black-eyed animal, and it came over to him, reaching to just above his elbow. Kettleburn affectionately rubbed its head, and Lily could swear it was purring.

"You will see that I have provided baskets of vegetables for you to feed the Demiguise with. They are herbivorous animals, and are gentle creatures. Once they see that you mean them no harm, the others should become visible."

Lily entered the pen, making sure to pick up a few carrots from the nearby basket. Potter and Black were already chatting with Professor Kettleburn, and Lupin was feeding some lettuce to the solitary ape, which was watching him with his black eyes.

"Oh my goodness!" Danyel exclaimed, and Lily turned to see what was the matter. Another silvery animal had appeared before her friend, almost identical to the first. It had nipped at the cabbage in her hand, which startled Danyel.

"Why, aren't you a beauty," Zora said motherly like, cooing at the Demiguise. She reached out and scratched its ears, to which he purred at her. "His fur is so smooth. Almost like water."

Kassie and Greta had joined them by now, the five girls feeding their friendly ape. Greta smiled at Zora. "I believe this one is a girl, Zora."

"Whatever."

They spent the rest of the hour discussing the habitats and mannerisms of the Demiguise, and how to care for them. Lily felt it was a perfect lesson to end the day with. She couldn't take her hand away from the smooth hair of the animal. Lily found it quite comforting, even though it was an odd sensation against her fingers.

As the Gryffindor seventh years walked back towards the castle to clean up, Lily could feel Potter's watchful eye. She didn't dare look at him though. Apparently, Zora noticed his gaze as well.

"How did detention go?" she asked, her tone hinting at something. She was grinning from ear to ear.

"Fine," Lily replied bluntly. She looked down at her feet, which were shuffling through the grass. Her bag was bumping against her hip, and so she pretended to be busy with it.

"That didn't sound so convincing," Greta smiled, pulling her own bag up higher on her shoulder. "Something must have happened for Potter to keep looking at you."

"He's always looking at me," Lily replied.

"Ah," Zora said, putting her hand up as if to bring their attention to something. "But he's usually looking at you when he's showing off, to see if you notice. Now he's just looking at you. Something's changed."

"Did you tell him off or something?" Kassie asked, peaking her head in between Zora and Lily.

"No!" Lily said sharply. "We just...cleaned."

Zora couldn't help but laugh. "Is that what it's called now?"

"Is that what what's called?" Danyel asked from Greta's side.

"Potter and Lily are 'cleaning' together," Zora teased.

Lily growled frustratingly. "Stop teasing me!" She sped up, reaching the castle before the rest of the class. As she entered through the doors, she found herself walking right through Sir Nicholas, the Gryffindor's resident ghost.

"Oh, my dear lady, forgive me," he said, lightly bowing, having to catch his head before it tipped out of place. "You seem to be in a hurry."

"Sorry," Lily said, continuing to rush past. She could hear the ghost muttering about her rudeness, but she didn't care right now. Lily was just trying to get away from those charming hazel eyes that her friends insisted on talking about.

Once in her room, she changed for dinner, looking hopefully at her desk. But there had been no delivery of a letter. Lily was about to open the door, but suddenly felt that being in the hall was not wise. She had a feeling that her friends would only continue to question her, and Potter's eyes wouldn't leave her. She wasn't sure how much of that she could take.

(Dinner and a Detention)

Lily hadn't eaten anything at all since lunch, and she was starting to feel the affect. She could hardly pay attention as Filch went on about what they were supposed to do.

"That whimpering excuse of a ghost has made a mess of my hallway. Make sure the water is all mopped up, or I'll insist that the Headmaster allow me to hang you from the ceiling." He glared at them before heading off down the hall, disappearing up the stairs.

"What would be worse torture? Hanging from the ceiling from our wrists, or listening to Myrtle for several hours?"

Potter was appearing to make a joke, but Lily was too distracted to laugh. He seemed to notice, because his smile disappeared. "I understand," he muttered, grabbing a mop and slowly sweeping at the puddles that had formed.

"What?" Lily finally said, looking up from her task.

"I've freaked you out. Ruined my chances. No need to say anything," he replied, agitated. He looked back at the floor, rubbing at the same spot over and over.

"No, it's not that." Lily was leaning against her broom. Her stomach was aching so much; she couldn't believe she had abandoned dinner. But it would have been harder for her to avoid his warm eyes any further.

"You don't have to console me," Potter continued, never looking up. "I'll stop bothering you."

"I never said I didn't want you to..."

"It's all right!" Potter said loudly, splashing water against the wall.

"Would you shut up for once and listen to me?!" Lily yelled, bringing even Moaning Myrtle to silence within her stall. Potter looked up, and for the first time since last night, she met his gaze. "I'm trying to tell you that you haven't done anything. I'm just hungry."

He looked at her curiously, as if trying to tell that was just some new excuse. "Seriously?"

"Seriously!" Lily hadn't said it in anger, but more in humor. She actually couldn't hide her smile. "Don't you ever get tired of just listening to yourself?"

He slightly glared at her, but she could see a hint of laughter in his eyes. "I guess I'll work on that. Why didn't you eat anything?"

"I wanted to get a head start on my homework," Lily lied. She couldn't admit to him that she was afraid of looking at him. Not when for the past six years she had convinced herself that he was not her type, and now her mind was taking a turn.

"Well, why don't you go eat something?"

"I can't leave here. We're supposed to be mopping up the floor." Lily started moving the mop around, but it barely had an affect.

"This floor will never be dry," Potter said, leaning his mop against the wall. "Come on." He grabbed her wrist, causing her to drop the mop against the floor. It made a splashy thump sound, but Lily didn't have enough time to stop and pick it up. Potter was dragging her cautiously around corners, apparently keeping an eye out for Filch.

"Where are we going?" Lily asked nervously, feeling her pulse racing as Potter kept his hold on her hand. He wasn't exactly holding her hand, but it was close enough that she could feel her cheeks blushing.

"You said you were hungry. I'm not going to stand by and let you starve." He led her down several flights of steps. They scurried down the main staircase, to a door that led below the main level. Along a corridor were many pictures of food, and Potter stopped in front of a portrait of a large fruit bowl.

"What are we doing here?" Lily whispered.

"Getting you something to eat. Sirius and I usually stop by here once a week to pick up a snack. They like us visiting." Potter reached out to touch a pear that was in the portrait. Lily was wondering who he was talking about when a doorknob suddenly appeared where the pear had been, and Potter was opening a door.

Lily entered a room she had never been in before, but she could guess by the layout that they were under the Great Hall. Four long tables were placed exactly where the house tables were above, and pots and pans were hanging all over the brick walls. But what was most outstanding was the large group of house elves that inhabited the room that Lily assumed to be a kitchen.

"Mister Potter! Good to see you, sir," several squeaky voices chirped, rushing over to him.

"Evening. Do you think you could spare some food? Miss Evans here missed supper." Potter smiled over at her, and she turned her eyes away.

"Of course, Mister Potter, sir!" Several house elves suddenly were scurrying about, whipping up food as if from thin air. They all approached Lily, offering her many delicious things to eat.

"Come sit down," Potter said, pointing to a seat next to the one he had taken. He was already digging into the food that had been offered to him. As Lily walked over to join him, many elves were bowing and smiling at her, still showing her more plates of food.

"Won't we get in trouble for this?" Lily asked, sitting down.

"No. As I said, Sirius and I come down here at least once a week. We haven't got caught yet." He bit into a juicy red apple, the crispy sound echoing through the room. Most of the elves were now continuing their cleaning, but some were still giving them platters. "Of course, you have to know how not to get caught."

"What other escapades have you and Black ventured on?" Lily asked, slightly curious.

"If I told you all my secrets, what would we have to talk about?" He winked at her, and Lily could feel her cheeks burning. She picked up a glass of milk and gulped it down, trying to hide her rosy complexion.

They sat there, among the noise of banging pots and pans and house elves scurrying about, talking for quite some time and enjoying the rich food placed before them. They swapped childhood stories, sometimes even recollecting about their past years at Hogwarts.

"So Sirius Black is really living at your house?" Lily asked, putting down her fork. The meal had been all too filling, she couldn't take another bite. "I thought you two were just jesting."

"No, he moved in last summer, after fifth year." Potter was facing Lily, straddling the bench seat. He was still taking bites of the chocolate cake that had been given to him. "His mom is a nut. I don't blame him for leaving the house."

"I wouldn't mind leaving mine," Lily said. "But now I don't have to, since Petunia's getting married."

Potter stared wide-eyed at her. "After what you just told me about her, somebody actually fancies that twit?"

"Unbelievable, isn't it?" Lily giggled. She pulled her legs up, sitting cross-legged and facing him now, instead of the table. She was glad she had changed into pants, for a skirt would have been very bad to wear, sitting in this position.

"When's she getting married?"

"In November. I think she wanted to make sure I couldn't be there." Lily looked down at her hands, which were fiddling with a spot of lint on her knee. "I don't care, though. I guess as long as she's happy."

Potter hadn't said anything, and she looked up to find him smiling at her.

"What?"

"Whoever marries you will be one lucky man."

Lily was stunned. He has said that so sincerely. "Are you telling me that you're giving up on me?"

"Now I didn't say that," Potter laughed. "I just meant that whoever you do choose to be with, he'd be truly rewarded. I could only wish it was me, of course," he smiled charmingly, "but in the end, it's your decision who you spend your life with."

"Thank you," Lily said softly.

"For what?"

She smiled at him. "For being honest."

"Mister Potter! You needs to get back to your room!" A small, feminine house elf was squeaking at them, pulling on their legs. "Scrub seen the caretaker looking for you!"

Scrub, another house elf, was nodding fiercely. "You must go!"

Lily and Potter jumped up from their seats, rushing towards the door. As they walked by, Lily could feel the elves shoving last minute treats into her hands. "Thank you!" she stammered as they disappeared behind the portrait.

Potter was looking down the corridor, holding his finger over his lips. "Filch is downstairs. Go up quietly." He clasped her hand this time, holding it tightly as he led her up the staircase.

Lily knew she should be focusing on getting to their detention site undetected, but all she could think of was Potter's strong hand holding hers. It almost felt right.

"Did you hear that?"

Lily blinked. "What?"

He was grinning. "Shh..." he led her to a door along the corridor, pressing his ear against it. Lily followed his example, her head leaning against the door where his shoulder was. Potter really had grown over the summer.

At first, all Lily could tell was that the wooden door was cold against her skin. But then she started to hear incoherent noises, which turned into a muffled conversation, and then some rather erotic noises.

"Don't they know how to cast a silencio charm?" Potter whispered, trying not to laugh. Lily could only wonder who was having such a good time in the empty classroom.

"Come on," Potter said, dragging her back up the stairs. They reached Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, only to find everything sparkling clean and quiet. "Where'd all the water go?"

Lily could only shake her head. "Perhaps Myrtle cleaned it up."

"I doubt that."

They heard footsteps approaching and turned to see Dumbledore approaching them. He was wearing his usual all-knowing grin. "My, it looks like you two should head back to your house. I'll inform Filch that you are done."

"But Headmaster," Lily began. She couldn't take claim for something they hadn't done. Especially since they had skipped out on it.

Dumbledore winked at them. "Goodnight." He turned around, heading back the way he came.

Potter and Lily stared dumbfounded, long after he had disappeared down the stairs. Potter finally spoke, breaking the silence. "Well, I guess we can go to bed then."

"Yeah," Lily simply replied.


	7. Men

Things Change: Chapter Seven

"Men"

(disclaimer: i do not own Harry potter, i'm just filling in the blanks of the past that JKR is hinting at in my own, amusing way. Enjoy!!!)

Thursday went by smoothly, except for the fact that Lily's mind was running overtime. She had been wondering about her mother's reply, because she hadn't received it yet. She kept telling herself that her mother might just be busy, or hadn't received her note yet, or there was a chance she was avoiding it.

But that was the least of Lily's worries right now. She could handle the fact that she was actually a witch, born to a wizarding family. But Lily wasn't sure if she could deal with the new feelings she was having towards James Potter. Lily couldn't deny that she had enjoyed his company last night. It was the first time he had talked to her and done something without trying to pull a stubborn stunt.

It was Thursday night, and she was sitting in Binns' classroom, and the only sounds were three quills scratching across parchment. Lily was sitting in the middle of the room, with Potter three seats down from her right, and Snape four seats to her left. They were writing lines, which they had been doing for the past two hours. Professor Binns was sitting at his desk, seemingly entranced by his very large book, which lay open for him.

Every now and then, Lily could detect incoherent grumbling from her left, and she would peer out of the corner of her eye at Snape. She didn't dare turn her head because she could tell that when he growled, he was looking their way. More specifically at Potter. His mumbling was growing louder, and Lily wasn't surprised that Binns' didn't take notice. Students often would whisper during his lectures and he was unaware of it, even after his death.

"I can't believe I'm wasting my time doing this," Snape hissed, his eyes glancing at Potter.

Lily looked over at James, wondering if he could hear him. He had.

"It's your fault you're in here, so stop complaining," Potter snapped back in a hushed tone.

"I believe you are the one who is to blame," Snape replied, setting down his quill. He was looking right over Lily's head, and she sunk down as if trying to disappear. She noticed that their strikes to his face had left a lasting effect on his nose.

James had pivoted in his seat, glaring at Snape. "Excuse me, but you were the one who threw the first punch." His eyes darted up front to Binns, who was seemingly unaffected.

"Only because you and your incompetent playmate thought it would be funny to turn me into a dog." As he said 'playmate,' Lily couldn't help but think he was referring to the start of term banquet. Her eyes were like tennis balls, bouncing back and forth from Snape to Potter.

"You're just jealous because he thought of it first and not you."

Lily snapped her head around and gave Potter a scolding look. "That is such an immature thing to say!" she retorted.

Binns was suddenly in front of her, and three pairs of eyes were on his gossamer figure. They were dead silent as he looked at them with a scolding expression. "This is detention and you will do well to keep quiet, lest I give you another hour." With one last glare, he turned around and hovered back through his desk, continuing to read.

Lily was still hunched over her parchment, writing the same sentence over and over again. Just as she was growing tired of hearing the tedious scratching, Potter started whispering again at Snape.

"You're just sore because you owe me."

Lily's attention was suddenly diverted again. Where had this come from? James Potter, the same boy who always tortured Snape, had a debt on him? Lily could hardly believe this. She hoped it wasn't anything like Black's repayment. Perhaps he was just trying to start a fight again. But Snape's reply confirmed everything.

"You only did it to save your own skin," Snape sneered, making sure to keep his voice low.

"But I did it none the less, and it's torturing you." James seemed to be sneering, and he caught Lily's confused glance. He lowered his own eyes to his parchment, seemingly embarrassed by her reaction.

Snape seemed highly amused by this. "I see your Mudblood girlfriend has to keep you in check," he snickered.

Before Potter or Lily could reply, Binns was hovering over the foul-mouthed Slytherin. "I do not take kindly to such language in my class room. You will remain here for another hour, writing me an apology for use of such terms."

Snape glowered at him and leaned over his parchment, his facial expression hidden by his greasy hair.

Binns turned to Lily and Potter, and with his usual morbid tone dismissed them. Potter eagerly stood up and rushed out of the room. Lily was right behind him, only keeping a slower pace. She couldn't believe she had almost replied that she wasn't a Mudblood.

"Sirius pulled a prank on him."

Lily looked up curiously at Potter. He had stopped after one flight of stairs and was looking at his feet. "What?"

"That's why I saved his life. Sirius pulled a prank and it backfired, nearly killing him."

"Oh," Lily replied, looking at the floor as well. He must have told her because he thought she was going to ask. But she honestly wasn't worried about it.

"He really irks me," he growled, slamming his fist into the wall. The portrait that was only inches away shrieked, glaring at him for coming so close to hitting her. He paid no attention. "The nerve to call you that. I just want to pound him into his grave."

What happened next surprised even Lily. Normally, she would scold James for acting so irrationally. But she didn't. She stepped closer to him, lightly placing her hand on his arm. She could feel his tense muscles beneath the blue sweater he wore, which brought out the blue in his eyes as he turned them to her in surprise.

"It's all right. Don't let him get to you." She smiled at him.

"But doesn't it bother you when he calls you that?" he asked, not moving his arm that was currently being touched by her slender fingers.

"It did," Lily replied, "but I finally decided not to waste my energy on someone who's not worth it."

"Am I worth it?"

His eyes were unwavering as he held her gaze in his. As Lily looked into his hazel eyes, she felt his other hand close over hers. She felt like her heart was trying to break out of its cage. These emotions were all too sudden. The soft touch of his hand, the look in his eyes...

Lily turned away, slipping her hand out from under his. She took a few steps up the staircase.

"Lily!"

She stopped, turning slowly. He was looking up at her, his face expressing he was waiting for her answer.

"You're starting to be," she whispered with a smile, and then raced up the stairs.

("Men")

"Now make sure to keep a good hold on the top of their roots: they tend to flail about if they're not secure," Professor Sprout stated as she displayed the lively plant in her hands. She was wearing her dragon hide gloves, as were all the students around Lily, to protect from the poisonous sting of the plant they were repotting. The roots, although safe to touch, could wrap itself around whatever it found and squeeze with all its might. But as long as they grabbed in the right spot, they would be safe.

"The Tenticalaus like to wiggle around, so make sure you have a good hold before you move them into the other pot," the plump woman advised, as she placed hers into a clay pot.

"Almost snake like, aren't they?" Black mumbled, gripping at his a little too tightly. The top part, which contained many hairs full of venom, shot some of its liquid at him, leaving scorch marks on his gloves.

"Black!" Sprout shouted at him. "Don't manhandle your Tenticalaus!"

"Yeah," Potter chuckled, "don't manhandle your testicalaus."

"Five points from Gryffindor," Sprout shot, "and next time, leave your crude humor at the door."

The boys remained quiet as Professor Sprout watched them repot their plants, and then she moved on to another table. Potter sneered at her.

"You two are really too much," Zora laughed, putting mulch around her Tenticalaus. She suddenly rubbed at her back with her gloved hands after lifting a bag of mulch from the ground.

"Are you all right, Zora?" Danyel asked, trying to push a stray root back into her pot.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little sore from riding my broom and practicing last night."

"You still think Zora can't make the team, Black?" Kassie asked Sirius, who was trying to stifle his laughter.

"It's not that. I know she can do it," he replied, winking at her. "I was just thinking about something that happened in detention the other night."

Before anyone could ask him to explain, Professor Sprout began to shout exasperatingly. "MISS MARX! DON'T USE YOUR WAND TO PUSH IT IN!" She ran to the other side of the greenhouse, where Crystal was fighting back her Tenticalaus with her wand, apparently trying to get it to stay.

Besides a few scorch marks on their gloves, Crystal was the only one to acquire injuries during Herbology that week. Her plant had managed to leave some nasty boils on her arms, but Madame Pomfrey cleared them up by dinner. Lily noticed that the incident had no affect on her energy. It may in fact have boosted it, if possible.

("Men")

Lily averted her attention from the Ravenclaw table back to her own housemates. Sirius was indulging in his usual eating habits. Kassie was watching him like a hawk. "Why do you insist on sitting by us? There's plenty of table."

"You should feel honored to be sitting with us. All those girls down there would kill to get your seat." Sirius looked down the table and they could hear a few fifth years squealing with glee.

"They'd probably die if they sat near you while you stuffed your face," Kassie smiled. "I for one am full, so I'm going to the common room. See you later!"

As Kassie stood up, Potter approached the table and put his hand on her shoulder. "I just talked to McGonagall, and she said we'll have the field Wednesday evening. So make sure anyone who you think is a good seeker candidate knows." Kassie nodded and turned away, disappearing into the hallway.

James sat down next to Black, snatching the turkey leg out of his friend's hand. "We don't need a fat chaser."

Sirius snarled and grabbed it back, biting into it. "I've yet to be fat, haven't I?"

"Evans."

Lily blinked at the sound of her own name. She realized that Potter was looking right at her, waiting for her attention.

"Yes?"

"We have detention tonight with Sirius. Supposed to help him clean the Owlrey."

Sirius laughed. "Bet you regret assigning me that detention now, huh?"

"McGonagall will be supervising," James said seriously, looking at Black.

"Damn!"

("men")

Because of McGonagall's watchful eyes, little was spoken between the three as they served their messy detention. Lily was grateful she didn't have to do this all week, like Black. After McGonagall was satisfied, she sent them to their dorms. Most of the students had already gone to their rooms, leaving behind a few classmates. The red headed first year was once again napping at the same table, but this time on a different book. Two fourth year girls were giggling in the corner, and then blushed when they saw Sirius.

Black smiled and held his arms to the side, letting himself fall onto a nearby sofa. "I'm beat!" he sighed, watching the girls run up the stairs to their dorm room. "Glad the weeks finally over."

"Well, I hoped you learned your lesson," Lily replied, sitting across from him in another fluffy armchair.

"Sure did: don't get caught."

James playfully bopped Sirius on the back of his head. "That's not the point."

"I know, I know." Sirius whimpered playfully. "You're no fun anymore, Pam."

"Of course I am. I just decided to grow up," James teased. When he caught Lily's eyes, she noticed a slight pink tone in his cheeks. James ran his hand through his hair, almost as if he was nervous. "Well, I'm going to bed. See you two in the morning."

As James disappeared up the stairs, Lily sensed Sirius gaze upon her. She turned. "Yes?"

"You did something to him, didn't you?" Sirius asked, his voice low and stern. It was as if she was a child being scolded by her father.

"What do you mean?"

Sirius pushed himself off the chair, and he slowly approached her. "Was it a potion?"

Lily only replied with a curious expression.

"Or maybe a hex."

"I don't have the slightest idea what you're getting at, Black," Lily retorted. She was finding the personal space between she and him was getting smaller.

"You did something to him. I know it. He hasn't been the same since he got here." Sirius was now leaning over her, his hands leaning on the arm rests to support his body. "I know, because I lived at his house this summer. He's different."

Sirius was practically touching her nose with his, and Lily was rather uncomfortable with this position. He had her trapped, much like James had the other night in the trophy room. But she doubted he was going to kiss her. Or was he?

"Black, please move."

But he didn't. His gray eyes looked deep into hers, and Lily couldn't help but swallow the nervous clump that had formed in her throat.

"You shagged him, didn't you?"

Lily's eyes suddenly widened in shock. "I did not!"

Sirius suddenly fell backwards, landing with a thud on the floor. He clutched at his sides as he went into a fit of laughter. "The look on your face!"

Lily scowled at him, jumping from her seat. She watched him tossing and turning, howling like a maniac. She didn't like being made a fool of. With a swift kick, Lily landed a painful blow to Sirius, right to his groin.

"Don't think I owe you anything for that, Black." Lily turned on her heels, her auburn waves bouncing around as she walked away from Sirius's howls of pain. "Men."


	8. Brooms, Aliens, and Snakes

Things Change: Chapter 8

"Brooms, Aliens, and Snakes"

(All right, you know the disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are not mine, it's fanfiction! On another note: Sorry it's taken me so long to get this up. I wanted to have up to Halloween chapter done so I could post it on Halloween, but four hurricanes bombarding your house and tearing off your roof will put a set back in plans. But my kitchen is all fixed now, and we have a new roof! And the kitchen looks so pretty...Anyways, I also had problems with this chapter, because it was the one I had writer's block on. The next couple chapter's should come out pretty quickly (should, cause you never know what will happen). So enjoy! Oh, and wherever you see the chapter's name in parenthesis, that represents a change in time. That was the only way I could make it show up. )

"Speed it up, girl!"

"Higher! You'll never get there!"

"I'm going as fast as I can! And stop your snickering, Sirius!"

Their words started fading as they flew higher up in the air, as if disappearing in the clouds. Lily tried to keep her eye on Zora, but when her friend flew into the sun, Lily had to avert her eyes. She looked down on the pitch, where a handful of Gryffindor students were clutching their broomsticks. One boy looked particularly nervous, dropping his broom twice within a matter of seconds. On the other hand, a determined looking girl had her broom slung over her slim shoulder like it was a bat.

"Do you think Zora will make it?"

Lily turned to who had spoken. Danyel was leaning on the railing, overlooking the Quidditch field. Kassie was hovering in front of her, leaning casually on her broom.

"Don't likely know," Kassie replied. She suddenly ducked as a whizzing sound came towards them and a Bludger passed over where her head had just been.

"Sorry!" Henry O'Connell shouted, flying past them to catch the Bludger before it hit their Keeper.

"If you're just having tryouts for a Seeker, why is everyone else on the field?" Greta asked. She was sitting next to Lily in the bleachers, her eyes following Henry around as he managed to strike the Bludger away from Bridget before it hit her.

"Potter wanted the Bludgers to be out here, because Seekers have to avoid those, too. Then he decided the whole team should practice. Something about team work.

"I'm surprised you're not trying out, Remus," Kassie called, looking over Lily's head.

Lily turned to see Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew sitting a few benches above them, watching the sky as well. Remus was looking much better than he had on the train last week. He was leaning his elbows on the seat behind him, looking quite casual next to a nervous Peter.

"I enjoy staying on the ground, thank you very much," Remus smiled.

"You don't need any more scars on your face, either," Peter grinned.

"Why don't you try out?" Lily asked, looking at Peter.

He seemed surprised that she had spoken to him. His small eyes widened in awe, and he started stuttering. "Y-you think I c-could make it?"

Lily smiled warmly. She didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable. "Sure. You're small enough."

Lily thought she saw his smile flicker slightly.

"Well, I don't like flying, either."

"Lionel! Get your arse over here!"

Kassie rolled her eyes at Black's rude tone. "I guess that's my cue." She waved and flew down to the ground, meeting with the rest of the team. Lily peered over the railing, glancing Zora rubbing at her arm.

"Do you think it went well?" she asked Danyel, who had come back to sit on her other side.

"Well, she caught it, but then a Bludger hit her and she lost her hold on the Snitch." Danyel pulled her hair back into a ponytail and sighed. "This is a stressful game!"

"Just think what it'd be like when they're against another team," Lupin sarcastically remarked.

"It gets worse?"

"You really need to start coming to the games, Danyel," Greta sighed, twirling one of her golden curls around her finger. "It's better to see it in person than us explain it to you."

"Why doesn't Potter just play the Seeker position again?"

"Because, Evans," Lupin replied, "he prefers Chaser. He's taller than he was in his fifth year. You need a smaller framed person to play Seeker."

"That makes sense," Lily muttered, turning her attention back to the field. The determined looking girl was now up on her broom, waiting for Potter to release the Snitch. Black was leading Zora off the field, and she was still rubbing at her arm. "I'll see you guys later," Lily called to her viewing companions and hurried down the stairs.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Lily heard Black ask.

"Quit your fussing! I'll be fine."

Lily stopped short, standing in the dark doorframe of the stair well. She was planning on just walking out and joining them, but something aroused her curiosity, and she decided to wait under the tented stairs and watch for a moment.

Normally, Zora and Sirius were throwing comments at each other, teasing left and right. Not a day went by without some verbal bashing from the other. But today, for the first time ever, maybe, Lily saw Sirius Black act in a way she thought impossible: caring.

"You really need to see Madame Pomfrey, Zora," he said, holding her shoulder so she wouldn't run from him.

"All right. But I can go myself. You don't need to go with me. It's just a broken arm." Zora hugged her injured limb to her torso, and tried to pull away from Black. But his grasp was too firm. "I said I'll be fine, Sirius. I'll see you later."

Lily stepped out from the covered stairwell, nearly surprising the two of them. "Zora, what happened?"

Black looked relieved to see Lily. "Evans, can you take her to the hospital wing? She doesn't want to listen to me. She's stubborn." He smirked at Zora.

"Not so much as you," Zora replied.

"I'll take her. You need to get back to your practice." Lily took Zora's free arm and led her away, waving to Sirius. Once they were out of earshot, Lily leaned in closer to Zora. "What was that all about?"

Zora looked at her, slightly confused. "What do you mean?"

"Didn't you notice? Black was actually acting…humane. It was sort of odd."

Zora nodded, looking at the ground as it turned into stone steps. "Yeah," she muttered. "Odd."

Lily smiled slightly. "You wouldn't happen to fancy him, would you?"

Zora's shook her head. "No," she said, "we're just friends. That's all."

Lily couldn't help but feel she sounded a little bit sad when she said that.

They walked some more in silence before Zora suddenly spoke up in her usual peppy voice. "Do you think I did well? Despite getting injured like that. I doubt they'll pick me since I lost the Snitch."

"You did wonderful!" Lily replied, trying to reassure her. "Even the best Quidditch players make their mistakes. I doubt Potter and Black have never fallen off their brooms or been attacked by balls."

They looked at each other and giggled, disappearing into the castle.

("Brooms, Aliens, and Snakes")

"Miss Alti! What happened to your arm? Did the dinosaurs eat you? Well, if you were eaten, you wouldn't be here, would you? Maybe you're really a robot recreated by the aliens who found the dinosaur who ate you!"

Lily tried to hide her laughter as Crystal Marx went on in her eccentric ways. Zora was handling it rather well. They had been sitting at the Gryffindor table, preparing to eat a long awaited dinner, when the hyper Ravenclaw had suddenly appeared.

"Yes, and the aliens told me to let you know they'll be here on Halloween to pick you up to go Trick-or-Treating," Zora replied, her voice as serious as possible.

Crystal's eyes widened as her mouth opened wide in awe. "I knew they'd come back for me," she said in a hushed voice, and then retreating back to her table.

"Is she for real?" Kassie laughed, pointing at Crystal with her fork. "She seems lost in her own world."

"Maybe she was abducted by aliens. Did some experiments on her that scrambled her brain and personality. Think it's possible?" Zora laughed.

Lily smiled. "Yes, but it wouldn't be the same if she was different."

"If who was different?" Black asked, sitting down across from Lily and Zora and next to Kassie. Potter sat next to him, and they both look rather refreshed. They seemed to have come from the showers.

"That Marx girl," Zora replied, pointing with her bandaged arm.

Sirius cringed slightly. "Don't remind me."

Lily noticed that he touched his nose, as if making sure it was still securely attached. "Are you still paranoid about being around her?"

Sirius looked at her, like a confused puppy looked at someone when he heard a strange noise. "Me? Scared of her? Why would you say that?"

Lily smiled. "No reason."

"Crystal is as harmless as…a bunny," Kassie said, "despite her bouncy personality, if that's what it is called. Are you telling me you're afraid of a wittle bunny wabbit?" She looked at him, her eyes sparkling with laughter.

Sirius shook his head. "I'm not afraid of something that makes a tasty meal." He grinned back at her, and then bit hungrily into a turkey leg, as if to finalize his point.

Zora leaned over the table, careful not to put weight on her mending arm. "So, have you picked a Seeker yet?"

By the way Potter and Black looked at each other, the girls could tell it wasn't good news for Zora.

"Don't worry about it," Zora said quickly. "I couldn't even catch the Snitch."

"We went with Bernadette Briars, the third year with the curls," Black replied.

"Oh, she was really good," Kassie awed, then flinched. "Sorry, Zora."

"I said I'm fine," Zora smiled.

"Well," Potter continued, "you were next on the list, so if anything happens to Briars that keeps her from playing, you are the substitute."

"Groovy!" Zora perked up some, and then stuffed a dinner roll in her mouth.

"You're picking up Black's eating habits," Kassie said in a singsong voice, as if she was being a tattletale.

"I don't care," Zora replied, spraying a few moist breadcrumbs on the table.

Lily slid to her right to avoid the mess, and found herself bumping into someone next to her. She hadn't realized that Remus Lupin had sat down beside her. "Sorry," she said, scooting back over.

"It's all right. You can bump into me any time."

Lily didn't notice the glare Potter sent to his friend.

After a few more moments, Danyel and Greta appeared, having spent the time before dinner to do some work in the library. They were actually getting along quite well, even with the occasional remarks from Black and Lupin. They were teasing the girls, and Black even started to throw his peas down the table at a group of first years. But Lily noticed something odd: James wasn't participating in their antics at all.

"Owl coming in!"

Many heads turned up towards the high windows in the rafters. Normally, owl deliveries were during breakfast, but for some reason, a lone barn owl flew in, diving for the Gryffindor table.

"Wonder who it's for?" Kassie said, as the owl came closer.

It spread out its wings, slowing its large body down. It landed gracefully in front of them, turning to Lily. She watched it curiously as it stretched out its leg, revealing a letter for her. She wondered whom it was from as she took it from the owl, offering it some of her grapes.

"Love letters at this time of night?" Greta teased.

Lily turned the envelope over, finding her name neatly printed in the center. She slipped her finger under the flap, slowly tearing it open.

"Enough with the suspense," Sirius whined, "just rip it."

Lily rolled her eyes at Black's impatience. Everyone was watching her, and she suddenly felt rather nervous. What if her mother had finally replied? She didn't want her friends to see the letter. She wasn't sure if she was ready to explain to them what was going on. Not yet, any way.

There was two pieces of paper in the envelope. The first was a white piece of cardstock, similar to an invitation. Actually, it was an announcement. And Lily couldn't feel less happy about it.

"That's a wedding announcement!" Zora said, plucking it from Lily's hands. She paused to read it, and then looked at Lily with the most disgusted face. "Someone's marrying your sister? What'd she do: beat him with her abnormally stuck up nose?"

"Can they do that?" Danyel asked.

Sirius chuckled. "Yeah, like this!" And he proceeded to whack Potter with his own nose, like he was rubbing it on his sweater.

"Stop, you ninny!" James growled, shrugging him off.

But Lily wasn't paying them any attention. She had opened the second paper, which was a letter. But it wasn't from her mother.

"Sorry, guys. I'm tired, so I'm going to bed." She shoved the paper in her pocket and stood up, upsetting the table slightly. Zora made to grab for the cup that knocked over, but she did it with her bad arm, and couldn't catch it. The water spilt all over Lily, and she shrieked. Jumping back, Lily tripped over the bench and fell over backwards, landing hard on her backside.

She heard a roar of laughter behind her, as well as from her own table. Sirius Black was the loudest of them all. Fighting back the tears of embarrassment and frustration, Lily stood up, ignoring the offers of help from Greta. Lily hurried out of the room, and the last thing she heard was definitely Crystal's voice:

"I knew it! The dinosaur's are taking over Miss Evans!"

("Brooms, Aliens, and Snakes")

Lily sat at her desk, the candle in her lantern starting to diminish in size. She had been sitting there for quite some time, choosing not to acknowledge her friend's concerned voices at the door. They gave up after a while and went to bed, leaving Lily to sit and stare at the letter in front of her.

She picked it up for the umpteenth time, reading it once more.

_Mother insisted that I send you a wedding announcement, and I agreed, seeing as how it is the proper thing to do. You and your kind may not have manners, but I do. _

_But something has come up that is most upsetting, and I know it is your fault. Mother has been acting rather peculiar lately. She doesn't go outside much anymore, and she's always cold. Have you put a… you know what on her? How dare you! Leave poor Mother alone. It's bad enough, what with Mother fretting about your welfare, when she seems ill. If you care at all about Mother, you'll release her from whatever spell you've put her under, you…witch!_

Lily let the paper slip out from her hands. Petunia had always been cruel to her. Lily had thought maybe she was jealous of all the attention she received about being a witch. But she never imagined Petunia would be so harsh. Why would she think that Lily had cursed their mother? There was no need to. Lily had a good sense to curse Petunia, however, but she wouldn't. Not only was it illegal, but she also didn't want to sink to that level of inhumanity. Maybe Black would do it for her…

Lily sighed and put her head down on her hands, watching the flames dance in the lantern. Was her mother really sick? Petunia made is sound that way, but her sister was also a worrywart. Lily vaguely remembered her mother having chills on the way to the station, though. Had it gotten worse?

Lily thought to write another letter to her mother, but thought better of it. She hadn't answered her last letter. Perhaps she hadn't received it. Maybe Petunia found it and threw it away. Or her mother was avoiding answering it. Whatever the reason, Lily wasn't able to figure it out, because she eventually drifted off to sleep.

Lily wished it could have been a dreamless sleep, but that didn't seem possible. If she had had her way, she would have wanted a dream filled with candy and flowers and all things that made a girl feel happy. But no. She wasn't having a dream. This was a nightmare.

Lily was home, and by the looks of it, she was going to Petunia's wedding. She was wearing a putrid dress, covered in stiff lace and dyed a stomach lurching orange. Lily feared that maybe this was reality, but her house was infested by multicolored rabbits. That didn't happen in real life. Lily was trying to get away from all the animals without squishing them, but when she ran up to her room, the stairway never ended. She turned around, and there was Petunia, hidden beneath a mass of white frill, and carrying a broom. She was trying to poke her with it, and Lily turned to run again. Her mother was at the top of the stairs, and to Lily's surprise, she was wearing a Hogwarts' uniform. She tried to call out to her, but then what happened next woke Lily from the dream.

There was a paper stuck to her face as she jolted from her seat. Lily ripped Petunia's letter from her cheek, throwing it across the room. It was dark, the lantern light long been burnt out. She must have screamed, because her throat felt sore as if she had yelled at the top of her lungs. She had every right to: wouldn't you scream if your mother had turned into a large, venomous snake?


	9. Bubbly Feelings

Chapter 9: Bubbly Feelings

(disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or claim it as my own. I am only inspired by the characters and write about them. After all, isn't that what fanfiction is? I write for others to enjoy! So please do!)

"Evans…Evans…"  
Lily could hear someone calling her name. The sound seemed to come from far away, carried by the wind that moved her hair to brush it against her face. But she couldn't bring herself to answer the caller. With her eyes closed, the world was hidden from her view, as if she was trying to escape reality. But Lily felt caught: she could no more escape reality than her dreams.  
Every night, for the past few weeks, she would awaken from a nightmare. But when she tried to recall them, all she could remember was that it involved her mother, and they left her with a sickly feeling. She wondered if they were connected to Petunia's letter and her mother's peculiar behavior.  
"Evans!"  
Lily groaned, hiding her face in her hands, which were propped up by her knees. Did no one understand that she wanted to be alone? She accepted the fact that she was Head Girl and would have to interact with her classmates. But other than that, Lily was emotionally drained and physically tired by the end of the day that she didn't feel like being around anyone.  
"LILY!"  
She nearly shrieked at the sound of her name, especially since the voice was right next to her ear. Hearing her name brought her back, causing her to open her eyes and glare at whoever it was that had disturbed her silence.  
"What do you want, Black?" she said shortly, almost in a growl. It was bad enough being bothered. It was worse that is was Sirius Black.  
"Don't get testy with me," he retorted, sitting down next to her on the grass. "I'm not too happy to be doing this, but someone's got to."  
Lily inched slightly away from him, not feeling comfortable sitting next to him. "What do you mean?" Black looked at her for a moment, quiet as could be, and Lily became disturbed by this. "What?"  
He shook his head, his black shaggy hair becoming even messier. "Have I done something that's upset you so much to have this attitude towards me?"  
Lily paused, not sure what to say. "I'm sorry," she whispered.  
"What was that?"  
Lily frowned. "You heard me. I've just been so tired lately, and that's why I'm so irritable. Now you can go and leave me in peace." She crossed her arms back over her legs, staring out over the lake in the distance. It was such a beautiful day, and the lake was shimmering like diamonds beneath the beaming afternoon sun. But Lily couldn't cheer herself up.  
"Ah," Black said, disrupting her again, "you see, I can't leave you in peace. Because I can't be in peace until you are."  
"You don't make any sense," Lily murmured in reply, not looking at him.  
"Look. We both agree that we're not each other's favorite person, am I right?"  
Lily nodded in reply, turning her head slightly towards him so she could see his facial expression. "What's that got to do with anything?"  
"Well, if you didn't realize," he continued, his tone carrying a slight hint of sarcasm, "that my best friend is madly in love with you."  
Lily frowned. He didn't have to remind her in such a manner of tone. "You mean Peter Pettigrew is in love with me?" she replied, just to upset him.  
"Who knows what he's thinking. He's been a little wary lately," Black replied, not reacting how Lily had expected. "James has been acting weird ever since that night you….kicked me."  
Lily winced. "Sorry about that."  
Sirius shrugged. "I guess I deserved it. I was being a git. But that was because James is my friend, and just like your friends are concerned for you, I worry about him. He stopped acting like himself, all of a sudden being some goody-two-shoes."  
"I just told him to stop trying to get my attention by picking on people," Lily replied.  
"Well, apparently he thinks he's offended you somehow, but he won't say anything. He's all sulky and depressed and frankly it's getting on my nerves. Whatever differences you have, you need to settle them. It's not good holding them in and worrying everyone around you. Trust me, it will hurt you in the long run if you keep those angry feelings to yourself instead of letting him know what he's done wrong."  
Lily finally turned the rest of the way and looked into Black's gray eyes. "I don't hate him," she said softly. "There's other things on my mind."  
"Oh," he replied, and they sat there for a while in silence. The only sound was the rustling of the leaves in the tree above them, blowing about in the warm autumn breeze.  
Lily tried to think back over the past few weeks, realizing that Potter had been acting strange. He wasn't his usual proud self, smiling from ear to ear and talking about Quidditch and whatever else he cared to share. How he would play and tease, his breath so soft on her lips in the trophy room,  
"Well, just keep in mind that your friends are worried about you. Whatever's bothering you, I hope you conquer it soon, so that you can return to your normal self. And talk to James, please," Sirius added. "Just so I can finally get some peace."  
Lily smiled slightly. If there was one thing she was sure would never happen, it was Sirius Black asking a favor from her; one that was of good intention, at least.  
"See! There's a smile! Do that more, and you'll start feeling better." Then Sirius did the unthinkable: he wrapped his arm around Lily, giving her a sideways hug. It shocked Lily so bad, that she didn't know how to react. Receiving such an action from someone she didn't normally get along with was enough to finally break down her emotional wall. Before she knew it, she was crying.  
"Well, this is a first," Sirius said softly, fighting back what Lily thought was amusement. "I've never had a girl cry on me. Usually if they're crying, they're running away or hitting me."  
"Shut up," Lily half cried, half laughed.

Lily had to admit, even if it was an odd conversation, Sirius had surprisingly helped her. She figured that seeing him try to help her, even though they didn't really get along, was enough motivation to try to cheer up and get through anything.  
"Hello," she said, sitting down in one of the large armchairs that were scattered about the common room. They were rather comfortable and fluffy, and Lily enjoyed sitting in them by the fireplace, reading.  
Zora looked at her curiously from over the edge of her spell book. "Hello," she said, a little drawn out. "You seem to finally be in a better mood."  
Lily frowned. "I'm sorry about that. I received a letter from my sister that wasn't all too pleasant."  
Zora rolled her eyes, putting her book down beside her in her seat. "I've told you before: don't pay attention to that nit wit. She's just jealous of you, and she's trying to do whatever she can to irritate you. Remember: no one can make you mad unless you choose to let them."  
Lily smiled in reply. "I'll remember that, then."  
"Hello, Potter. How was practice?"  
Lily turned around to see James standing near the portrait hole, followed by Kassie and Black. It seemed that Zora's question was a rhetorical one: they appeared to all be tired and rather sweaty from their practice.  
Lily smiled at them, and was surprised to receive one back from Black. Perhaps their little 'heart to heart,' so to say, had made them come to a mutual liking of each other. But then Lily noticed something.  
James was scowling.  
At her.  
"I'm going to go get food," he said rather shortly, and then went back out the portrait hole, without saying another word.  
"What's his problem?" Zora asked.  
"I don't know, but I was half tempted to shove his broom up his arse," Sirius replied, plopping down on the chair next to Zora. "He was a slave driver today, barking at us the entire time."  
"Oh my God, you reek!" Zora exclaimed, pinching her nose and leaning as far away from him without leaving her own armchair. "Go clean up or something!"  
"Aw, don't you want a hug?" Sirius teased, jumping up out of his chair and leaning towards Zora.  
"Eew! Get away!" she shrieked, kicking her foot out to distance him.  
Lily looked over at Kassie, who just rolled her eyes at the dark haired pair. "Was Potter really not himself?"  
Kassie nodded, shifting her weight to the other foot. "Something's bothering him, and I think it has to do with Black, because he would not talk to him at all."  
"Get away or I'll kick you so you can't ride your broom for a week!"  
Lily thought for a moment. "I wonder if I should go talk to him later than."  
"Come on. Just one big, sweaty, smelly hug!"  
"I don't know," Kassie replied. "He's mad at someone. I saw the glare he gave you when we came in."  
"That's it!"  
Lily shivered. "So that had been for me."  
"BLOODY HELL!"  
Lily and Kassie both turned to see Sirius cowering on the carpet, clutched up in the fetal position. Zora was still sitting in her chair, but she was rubbing her foot.  
"I warned you," she said in a singsong voice.  
Lily couldn't help but laugh. "He'll never learn…"  
Kassie nodded in reply, trying to stifle her laughter. "I wonder how many times he's had that done to him?"  
"Thirty-six," came a moan from the floor.  
The girls all looked at each other and laughed.  
"You've kept count?" Zora asked, sounding highly amused. "It's that important to you, huh?"  
"Well, I could tell you how many times I've shagged…"  
"Keep that information you yourself, please!" Lily shrieked, plugging her ears. "I think I'll leave you now. Your smell has seeped onto me and I'm going to take a bath."  
"Hey," Kassie whined, hitting her arm playfully.  
"I'll see you later," Lily laughed, heading upstairs to gather her stuff. When she came back down, Sirius was still whimpering like a sick animal on the floor, and Zora had returned to her book. Kassie was nowhere in sight, and Lily assumed she had gone to take a shower herself.  
There was barely anyone about as she ventured down to the fifth floor corridors, where the Prefect's Bathroom was awaiting her. Once inside, Lily filled the tub full of scented bubbles, making the water practically impossible to see through.  
Lily had taken Sirius' advice to smile more, and it had helped her feel better. And a luxurious bath was something almost any girl liked to have to help feel more relaxed. Shedding her clothes, and making sure Moaning Myrtle was lurking about, Lily dropped herself slowly into the water. The warmth enveloped her, and she sighed, smiling as she closed her eyes and dipped under.  
And then she heard it.  
Lily shot up out of the water, wondering where the sound had come from. Someone had splashed into the pool-size tub, and she looked around for Myrtle. No doubt she had come to sulk about something or other. Seemed like that ghost could turn the littlest thing into a day worth of sobbing.  
"What the bloody hell are you doing in here!"  
Lily shrieked at the voice that came from behind her, and she instinctively dropped lower under the surface, hiding whatever she could of her body. "JAMES POTTER! You peeping tom!"  
"Me? You're the one who came in when I was in here!"  
Lily turned around, moving as close to the edge of the tub as possible without revealing anything. "I didn't see you in here! And besides! You said you were getting food!"  
"Well, if you can change your mind, than I sure as bloody hell can, too!"  
"What?" Lily turned her head, her hands crossed against her chest. She saw that he looked furious, but also terribly hurt. "What are you talking about? What did I change my mind about?"  
James frowned even more, if it was possible. His eyes betrayed his angry tone. Was it because he wasn't wearing his glasses that Lily realized there was a tint of blue in his eyes when he was emotional?  
"I thought we were finally getting along. Moving on from bickering and fighting. I even stopped pulling pranks to get your attention."  
Lily nodded, slinking a little further into the water. "Yes, but what does that have to do with me changing my mind?"  
"I saw you earlier today!" he shouted. "Is that the type of girl you are? You lead me on, and then go for my friends?"  
"What the HELL are you talking about?" Lily yelled, getting a little frustrated. Was he calling her what she think he was?  
"You think you're so smart, Lily Evans. You lead me on, telling me I had your attention and flirting with me in the trophy room, and then I find you hanging all over Sirius! My best friend!"  
Lily's jaw dropped. She couldn't believe this. Thoughts raced through her mind. She could either try to explain herself, or shoot remarks at him. She shook her head and turned away from him. "I'm not going to respond to you right now, cause you are too upset to understand. Would you please turn around so I can get out?"  
It sounded like James was huffing and puffing. "What if I say no?"  
"Then I'll scream and tell whoever comes in here that you were attacking me!" she shouted, raising her voice to prove her threat.  
"Fine!" he said, splashing the water as he turned around, crossing his arms across his bare chest.  
Lily frowned at his childish attitude. Pulling herself up out of the tub, she quickly grabbed up her towel and wrapped it around herself.  
"Evans, wait."  
Lily turned, holding the towel tightly around her. "What?"  
She was answered by a face-full of soapy warm water.  
"James Potter! Why did you do that?" Lily brushed her hand against her face to wipe away the bubbles. "Now my towel is all wet."  
"Explain!" he demanded.  
Lily shook her head. "You're being too stubborn. You wouldn't listen to me even if I was dancing around naked."  
"Well, you practically are," he said, his stone cold expression not faltering. "Now tell me why you were with Sirius, or I'm going to drown myself."  
"You can't drown yourself, you git," Lily snapped.  
"Ha!" James suddenly dipped beneath the bubbles, and Lily couldn't even see the black of his messy hair.  
Lily stood there for a few seconds, tapping her bare foot against the wet tile. It was the only sound that filled the room. She expected him to pop right back up, but after what felt like an eternity, she began to get nervous.  
"James Potter, this isn't funny." Lily stepped closer to the edge of the tub, looking down at the pinkish bubbles she had filled the water with. "Potter, you come up right now!" Now she was getting worried.  
"James?" she said, kneeling down by the side of the pool. "James, please!"  
Just as she thought she would have to dive in and start searching for him, a pair of hands popped up from the water, followed by a face that bore a devilish grin. James' hands wrapped around her arms, and the next thing Lily knew was that she was completely submersed in the water.  
Lily squirmed around, trying to find the surface and air. She coughed, the bubbles and bath water not feeling all too comforting in her nose and throat.  
"You asshole!" she cried, rubbing at her eyes. "You scared me!"  
"Well, it's nice to know that you still care about me," he said, trying to stifle his laughter.  
"I think after that stunt I'll be reconsidering my feelings," Lily replied, fighting her way back to the edge of the tub. But James had grabbed her arm, pulling her back. "Let go!"  
"No. I want to know." He tried to turn her to face him, but Lily fought back. "Tell me, what is going on between you and Sirius?"  
"Nothing! He was just being nice."  
"Nice? Sirius isn't nice to girls unless he's after something," James replied rather sternly.  
"Well, you obviously don't know your friend that well," Lily retorted, turning to look at him. "He was worried about you, and he came to talk to me. He thought I was mad at you."  
"Are you?"  
Lily paused. "Well, now I am. You're hurting my arm."  
James let go of her arm rather quickly, but he took a step closer to her. This made Lily rather nervous. She was in a towel at least. A soaked one, but at least it covered the essentials. He, however, was wearing nothing but bubbles. Lily had to avert her eyes from exploring his tanned skin and muscles that he had developed from years of playing Quidditch. It was so tempting to look…  
"So, what did he say to you then?"  
"He told me that if I was upset with you, to talk to you about it, and not hold it in."  
"So, are you mad?"  
Lily shook her head. "I've got a lot on my mind, that's all. I'm sorry if you felt like I was pushing you away."  
"Well, I'm happy to hear that," James said, stepping closer again.  
"Now, stop right there, mister! Don't you take a step closer or I will scream!" Lily held up her hands, signaling for him not to move.  
"Come on. Can't I have a hug?" he asked, smiling at her in that familiar charming way he had.  
"No! You're…you know!" she said, blushing furiously as the thought of what his body looked like flashed through her head. Why was she so upset that she had filled the tub full of bubbles?  
"You didn't seem to have any shame in getting in the tub with me before," James jested.  
"I told you I didn't see you!" Lily shrieked, splashing water in his face. "Don't get any closer, or I'll splash you again."  
"Oh, will you?" he replied, stepping forward, as if daring her.  
Lily hit her hands hard against the water, spraying even more bubbles in his face. His black hair, which normally stuck out at every odd and angle, was now clinging to his face, and he brushed his bangs out of his eyes. Lily took a step back, finding her back hitting the edge of the tub. James was smiling at her devilishly. Why did this feel so familiar?  
"James Potter, you take a step closer, and I'll…" But Lily couldn't finish her sentence.  
"You'll what?" James whispered, stepping forward again, the bubbles floating around his abdomen. "You'll splash me again?"  
"Yes!" She moved her hands to do so, but he grabbed her wrists, holding her only weapons captivated. "Hey! You're not playing fair."  
"Are you saying you want me to let you go?" James asked, moving closer still.  
His toes brushed against hers.  
Lily could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks. "I…"  
"Do you want me to let you go?" James whispered, stepping closer again.  
His knee touched hers.  
"No."  
"No…what?" James questioned, moving yet closer still. She felt the towel around her shift slightly, and she could feel his thigh brush against hers.  
"You are too close, James Potter," she whispered, the words coming out rather in a rush.  
"You didn't answer me, Lily," he said. His hands were still wrapped around her wrists, holding them against his chest now. "Do you want me to let you go?"  
'Damn it!' Lily swore at herself. 'Why did you have to look into his eyes?' The look he was giving her was so confusing, but it lured her in until she became lost in her own pool of emotions. "I don't want you to let me go…"  
Everything seemed to stop: the water that licked at her skin ceased movement; her heart that threatened to break free from its cage seemed to pause; her nervous, shallow breath had become caught in her throat. Nothing moved except for James' eyes, which seemed to draw closer to her own, drinking in what little life she felt was still moving.  
His lips brushed against hers.  
Lily blinked, watching James pull away rather quickly. Was she upset, or disappointed? It had happened so fast, she didn't know how to react.  
"James Potter, why did you do that?" she asked, feeling rather flustered.  
"Do I need a reason to kiss you?" he asked, releasing one of her hands and brushing his against her cheek. She felt him brush a wet curl off of her cheek, tucking it behind her ear.  
Lily took advantage of her sudden freedom and scooped her hand under the water, splashing him once more. "I told you I'd splash you if you came closer."  
"I thought you said you were going to scream," came a voice overhead.  
Lily and James both turned their wet faces upwards, and they could see the ceiling through Moaning Myrtle's iridescent form.  
"Myrtle!" Lily scolded, pulling her arms around her to make sure her towel was still in place.  
"How long have you been watching us?" James asked, dropping a little lower in the water.  
"Why are you hiding? There's nothing on you I haven't already seen in the last ten minutes." Myrtle floated down, crossing her legs so that she appeared to be sitting on the water. "I must say, Miss Evans, letting such a…randy boy near you." Her eyes dropped, as if peering at something in the water.  
Lily noticed that James' hands shot rather quickly down to hide himself.  
"I'm going to report you to Dumbledore, Myrtle!" James hissed, his face red with anger and embarrassment.  
Myrtle giggled. "Then I'll tell him that I was only stopping his precious Head Boy and Head Girl from doing naughty things in the bathroom…"  
Lily's eyes widened. She wouldn't, would she? If Dumbledore heard about this, even if it was just an accident meeting, rumors would start and her perfect schoolgirl image would be shattered.  
"Why would you do that?" James said, pouting slightly. Lily could tell he was turning on the charm. "If I had caught you with a boy, I wouldn't tattle."  
Lily knew, as soon as the words came out, that James had made a poor choice of a plea.  
Myrtle's eyes started to turn watery, and her lower lip started trembling. "Well, for your information, no boy wanted to be with me, not when I kept getting teased! You are so RUDE!" she wailed. "You're just as bad as they are, picking on poor, lonely Myrtle!"  
"I think that's our cue to leave," James whispered to Lily, starting to scoot towards the edge of the pool. He pulled himself up, and Lily covered her eyes when she remembered he was wearing nothing.  
"James! Put your clothes on!" she gasped, moving a finger slightly to see if he had covered himself yet. Nope.  
There was a splash behind her, and Lily could only guess that Myrtle had dived into the plumbing to pout. She shut here eyes behind her hands when James entered her view again, pulling his pants on.  
"Give me your hand," he said rather quickly. He pulled her up, and she had to make a quick grab for her towel, because the weight of the water had nearly pulled it off. "Hurry up and get dressed, because it won't be long until she draws someone's attention here."  
After a haphazard attempt of getting dressed, Lily and James rushed out of the Prefects' bathroom. There was no one in sight, but voices could be heard down the hallway. Normally, finding the Head Boy and Head Girl together alone towards the evening wouldn't be a wrong thing. They could be excused as monitoring. But when they were both dripping wet from their messy hair down to their bare feet, many assumptions could be made that would land them in a while mess of trouble. That was probably why that at the moment Lily heard what sounded like Filch's voice, James grabbed her hand and pulled her suddenly down the hallway and around the corner.  
She felt like her arm was going to be pulled out of socket and then she would have to ask Zora to help her with her studies because she wouldn't be able to write if James' managed to do so. The Fat Lady looked at them curiously, and her eyes moved slowly down to the floor at the puddle of water that had formed around their feet and behind them.  
James cursed under his breath and pulled out his wand, muttering a spell to dry the floor. The Fat Lady smiled at them, and Lily could tell that the portraits would be hearing from Violet, the Fat Lady's friend, what she saw this evening.  
"Animagus," Lily breathed, trying to catch let the oxygen return to her lungs from her slightly painful run. As the doorway was revealed and James let go of her hand, she rubbed at her shoulder before climbing in after him.  
She was relieved to see that the common room was empty. No one to question why they were both wet. Of course, they could say they fell in the lake, but that was unbelievable since her clothes were only damp where the cloth clung to her skin, and she had told her friends she would be taking a bath.  
James sighed with relief and sat down in a chair near the fire, rubbing his hand through his wet hair. "That was fun, wasn't it?" he asked with a content smile.  
Lily looked at him, unsure of how to answer. For the past few minutes, all she could think of was the pain in her arm and shoulder from where he had pulled her. But now she realized that her hand was still warm from his touch. As she watched his lips curl into that ever familiar grin, she remembered the soft kiss he had placed against her lips only a few moments ago.  
"Umm…I'm going to bed," Lily said, turning on her heels and quickly walking towards the stairwell.  
"Wait!"  
Lily continued towards the stairs, making it up only two steps before she felt his had wrap around her arm.  
"Potter, I need to study. Please let go," she said, turning her face upwards towards the stairs.  
"Lily Evans, I'm not letting you go. You said so yourself, you didn't want me to." She could hear him clearing his throat, trying to prepare himself to say something. "Lily, I would really enjoyed it if you went with me on the Hogsmeade trip."  
Lily turned, a smile threatening to break through. "You mean, like a date?"  
James grinned, rubbing his other hand through his hair in his old, nervous manner. "Yes, like a date."  
Lily nodded, and she watched his face illuminate ecstatically. The next moment was all a blur. James had stepped up onto the stairs, wrapping her up in an embrace that could melt her. But it only lasted a second, because the stairs had reacted to James and slipped out from under them, causing them to fall flat on their backs and slide down the short distance.  
Amongst their laughter, Lily's cheeks started to burn a bright red. James was lying on top of her, but it wasn't his body weight that disturbed her. It was how close they were, and no one was around to witness the next part.  
James stopped laughing, and his hand found its way into her hair, brushing the curls through his fingers. Lily closed her eyes at the touch, and in that moment of silence, except for their staggered breathing, James kissed her again, and this time, didn't let go.


End file.
